Army Tests Autonomous Truck Driving Systems
U.S. Army trucks using an autonomous driving system from Lockheed Martin logged more than 55,000 testing miles during a simulated warfare experiment program held at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Fort Bliss, Texas, according to Lockheed Martin.
The trucks used Lockheed Martin’s Autonomous Mobility Applique System tactical wheeled vehicles over several months during the U.S. Army Extended Warfighter Experiment. The test included the use of Palletized Loading System vehicle convoys with the lead truck driven by a soldier and the following three to four vehicles being driven with the autonomous system.
The AMAS system provides driver warning/driver-assist and semi-autonomous leader/follower capability, and reduces manpower needs for convoy operations. AMAS is designed to free up soldiers on resupply missions to conduct other tasks and to reduce their exposure to Improvised Explosive Devices.
The autonomous convoy system, AMAS, completed over 55,000 testing miles this year, which is more than twice around the equator. Read more: https://t.co/OgCPCUZRDg pic.twitter.com/bsQ2azWvGK
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) November 29, 2017
“We believe AMAS is ready to move forward toward the ultimate goal of widespread fielding across multiple military applications,” said Kathryn Hasse, combat maneuver systems director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
The experiment was managed by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center.
