Unmanned vehicles are one of the safest solutions, especially for tasks that will put personnel life at risk.
A new step has come from the USA, which has been working for some time to expand the use of unmanned vehicles and make existing platforms remotely commandable. The U.S. Army launched a feasibility study for unmanned use of the M1150 ABVs (Assault Breacher Vehicle) in its inventory. In this context, it is foreseen that the platforms will go through some modifications that will allow unmanned use.
The new hardware, which will be called M1150 ABV RCS (Remote Control System), is planned to allow multi-vehicle use. Thanks to the so-called OCU (Operator Control Unit / User Control Unit), multiple M1150 ABVs are aimed to be able to perform mine clearance tasks in coordination. The system, which is stated to increase the personnel safety to the higher level, is also on the agenda to using by personnel in M2 Bradley or Stryker. It is aimed that RCS can fulfil all driving, mine clearance and other operational requirements in all ambient conditions, including day and night. OCU, on the other hand, has to be carried by single personnel when necessary.
Developed on M1 Abrams, the M1150 ABV weighs 72 tons. The vehicle, which has a 4.5 m wide mine plow at the front, can also carry 3,175 kilograms of explosives for area cleaning operations. Thanks to the LDCS (Linear Demolition Charge System) equipment, the vehicle, which can clean an area of approximately 100-150 meters at a time, performs high-risk tasks such as mine clearance and removal of enemy obstacles.
