Self-driving vehicles that would ferry supplies to troops on the battlefield are to be developed by Britain and the United States under a joint defence technology programme being announced today. Trials of unmanned air and ground vehicles for resupply missions will begin next year as part of a four-year programme to explore the use of autonomous technology.
Transporting supplies to troops under fire is a dangerous task, and even more treacherous when the terrain is difficult. British and American military planners believe that autonomous driving technology, which is being tested for civilian use, could make resupply missions faster and take army drivers out of harm’s way.
The Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense will launch an “innovation challenge” in September, asking defence companies and universities to submit ideas for consideration. Testing will begin in October next year at the US Army warfighting assessment trials.
American military scientists have already shown that they can link resupply lorries to create automated convoys. Driverless M915 tactical trucks and the Palletized Load System navigated road junctions, oncoming traffic and other hazards in a trial in 2014. The system will be demonstrated at the warfighting trials next year.
The automated resupply programme will be launched at Farnborough International Airshow today by Philip Dunne, the minister for defence procurement, and Frank Kendall, his opposite number in Washington. Mr Dunne said: “We’re looking to exploit technology that’s being used in the civil sphere and deliver it in the defence sphere. We’re not talking about an automated fighting vehicle just yet.” Autonomous driving technology could be added to existing military transport vehicles, he said.
“Defence science and technology collaboration has been a core part of the special relationship with the US for over 75 years,” he said. “Robotics and autonomous systems offer opportunities to operate in fundamentally different ways. This collaboration on assured resupply will put our nations at the forefront of future developments — allowing us to transform our approach to military logistics.”
The UK and US collaborate on more than 100 defence technology projects, Mr Dunne said. Science and technology teams in both countries worked together for six months to develop proposals for the automated resupply programme, he said. Mr Kendall said: “Our collaboration will help grow our advantage in autonomous systems and human-machine collaboration and will help drive interoperability between US and UK systems into the future.” The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is leading the programme for the MoDin partnership with the British Army, which is supplying personnel and equipment.
The US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center is leading the American element.
The US has also tested unmanned K-Max helicopters in Afghanistan. The pilotless aircraft flew cargo missions to remote outposts that could not be reached safely because of the threat of roadside bombs. The helicopters carried out 600 unmanned missions with the US Marine Corps between 2011 and 2013, delivering nearly 1,000 tonnes of cargo.