The South Korean Army (RoKA) has received two new 6×6 multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) developed by Hyundai Rotem, the company announced on January 10.
Hyundai Rotem said two multi-purpose UGVs (MPUGVs) have been delivered following a six-month evaluation by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and RoKA, and were evaluated for their autonomous and remote driving capabilities in various environments. Terrain and operations along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) were extensively tested.
DAPA selected Hyundai Rotem in November 2020 to develop the MPUGV under a $3.6 million contract, which includes associated training and support. Two prototype UGVs were handed over to the agency in July 2021.
While the technical specifications of the MPUGV have not been disclosed, the company said in a statement that the new car is derived from its HR-Sherpa platform and offers more performance to take on a wider range of roles, including close combat support, reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as ammunition and Consumables replenishment and casualty evacuation missions.
The baseline HR-Sherpa is powered by an on-board battery measuring 2.7 m long, 1.7 m wide and 0.9 m high, and weighs approximately 1,600 kg unladen. It can carry up to 400kg in mission equipment or stores. The HR-Sherpa also claims to offer up to 6 hours of battery life when cruising at 5km/h, although it can reach maximum on- and off-road speeds of up to 40km/h and 10km/h, respectively.
In contrast, MPUGVs are equipped with a small long-range weapons station that can be armed with light or heavy machine guns. Mounted on the vehicle, the gunshot location system detects and triangulates gunshots and automatically steers the RWS towards potential threats.
The vehicle can turn on its axles and has an integrated thermal management system that enables long-range driving in severe conditions. Each of its six wheels is equipped with in-wheel motors that provide independent propulsion, while airless tires increase its survivability for combat and terrain damage.
Hyundai Rotem also notes that MPUGVs are equipped with day and night cameras that provide operators with real-time images and support various operating modes, including leader-follower, teleoperation, and waypoint-based semi-autonomous navigation.
by Jr Ng
