The Arion-SMET, a multipurpose unmanned vehicle developed by Hanwha Aerospace, will undergo a performance test at a US Marine Corps training center.
Hanwha Aerospace announced on Sept. 4 that it recently signed a contract on the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program with the U.S. Department of Defense. Accordingly, the main test of the Arion-SMET will be conducted at a U.S. Marine Corps training center on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, for three weeks from early December.
FCT is a U.S. Department of Defense program to evaluate the best technologies from defense companies in U.S. allies around the world and connect them with development and acquisition projects promoted by the U.S. military. After the successful completion of a test evaluation, the U.S. Department of Defense decides whether to proceed with a related acquisition project.
The Arion-SMET will be evaluated via a mission of transporting fuel, combat rations, drinking water, patients, and repair parts from a local training site to a distant loation.
Previously, the Arion-SMET performed a demonstration for U.S. Forces Korea after being selected as an FCT task in October last year. This is the first time a Korean-made military unmanned vehicle has been selected for the FCT Program. It has excellent performances such as the highest speed of 43 kilometers per hour, a range of 100 kilometers on one single charge, and a payload of 550 kilograms.
The Arion-SMET is capable of running four methods -- remote control, wired control to follow a line connected to troops, autonomous driving to follow a set route, and exploratory autonomous driving to explore new terrain and reach a desired destination. It can also support soldiers’ close combat by automatically tracking and aiming at targets with a remote-controlled firing system and firing between maneuvers.