Hanwha Aerospace's Arion-SMET II Completes Field Test with U.S. Marine Corps and Army

Hanwha Aerospace's Arion-SMET II, a multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), has successfully completed a week-long field test in collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army.

The test, conducted as part of the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program, positions the robotic vehicle as a potential contender in the global UGV market. Representatives from III Marine Expeditionary Force and Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Ground Vehicle Systems Center, participated in the testing held at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows in Hawaii from December 14-22, 2023. This marks the first instance of a South Korean UGV participating in the U.S. Department of Defense FCT.

Before the FCT, Marines underwent three days of user training to operate the 2-ton electric robotic vehicle on challenging terrains. The tests focused on evaluating the Arion-SMET II's various mission capabilities, including heavy equipment transport, remote-controlled driving, waypoint navigation, exploratory maneuvering, soldier following, and physical tether following.

Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), an American defense affiliate of Hanwha Aerospace, is planning to compete for the second increment of the U.S. Army's Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) program, known as S-MET Increment II. HDUSA aims to partner with U.S. prime contractors and suppliers for the unmanned ground vehicle contest.

The Arion-SMET II, equipped with Hanwha Aerospace's HAEMOS, can support infantry operations such as ammunition transport, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and close combat support. With a maximum payload capacity of 550kg and a range of up to 100km on a full charge, the UGV boasts satisfactory speed capabilities on both paved and unpaved roads.

Additionally, the Arion-SMET II can be equipped with an advanced Remote-Controlled Weapon System (RCWS), capable of automatically tracking and aiming at targets through gunshot source localization, featuring a 5.56mm RCWS extendable to a 7.62mm machine gun.