Hanwha Aero Conducts First Performance Test of Multipurpose Unmanned Vehicle in the US

Challenge of US Corporation in Army Unmanned Vehicle Project

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 4th that its self-developed multipurpose unmanned vehicle Arion-SMET successfully completed performance testing at a U.S. Marine Corps training ground.

Hanwha Aerospace conducted the Arion-SMET overseas comparative performance test at the U.S. Marine Corps training ground in Oahu, Hawaii, from the 14th to the 22nd of last month, lasting seven days.

This is the first time a domestic defense company’s unmanned vehicle has undergone the U.S. military’s Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT). FCT is a program initiated by the U.S. Department of Defense to evaluate excellent technologies from allied defense companies worldwide and link them to development and acquisition projects pursued by the U.S. military.

The performance test involved the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), and the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) under DEVCOM.

Before the performance test, Hanwha Aerospace conducted a three-day training session to enable U.S. Marines to operate the Arion-SMET directly during the FCT period. The U.S. Marines operated the Arion-SMET in areas with low mountains and wide fields in Hawaii, including coastal areas, sandy beaches, muddy roads, and unpaved roads, comprehensively evaluating its operational capabilities. Key performance evaluation targets included transportation capacity for various loads, autonomous exploration driving ability, autonomous waypoint navigation, and driving performance.

A U.S. Marine is operating the Arion Helmet, manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace, in Hawaii. Photo by Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace’s U.S. subsidiary plans to leverage this FCT as a stepping stone to challenge the U.S. Army’s unmanned vehicle (S-MET) program and enter the global market competition in unmanned system technologies.

Arion-SMET can be operated in five modes: remote control, wired following along a line connected to troops, autonomous driving following given waypoints, autonomous exploration driving on untraveled paths, and autonomous convoy driving following lead soldiers and vehicles. It supports close combat with a remote-controlled firing system that automatically tracks and aims at targets and fires while maneuvering. Its top speed (43 km/h), range after electric charging (100 km), and payload capacity (550 kg) are on par with or exceed those of global top-tier equipment.

Seo Young-woo, Executive Officer in charge of the Manned-Unmanned Hybrid Research Center at Hanwha Aerospace’s LS Division, said, “The successful completion of the U.S. FCT once again proved the excellence of Arion-SMET. We will continue to demonstrate the superiority and competitiveness of Arion-SMET and our unmanned system technologies not only in the U.S. but also in the global unmanned vehicle market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.