The winner of the multi-purpose unmanned vehicle bidding war between Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace will soon be determined. Multi-purpose unmanned vehicles are expected to become a major force on future battlefields, used for search, reconnaissance, and logistics.
According to military authorities and the defense industry on the 21st, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is conducting a test assessment of Hyundai Rotem's multi-purpose unmanned vehicle HR-Sherpa and Hanwha Aerospace's Arion-SMET under the supervision of the Army Headquarters' Test Evaluation Unit. This assessment is in the final stages to determine the unmanned reconnaissance vehicles to be operated by the Army and Marine Corps.
Unmanned weapons systems are considered the next blue ocean in the defense industry. As major global defense companies are accelerating the development of weapons systems equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), this multi-purpose unmanned vehicle project signifies the first time ground forces will operationalize unmanned vehicles.
The vehicle supplied by Hyundai Rotem for this project's test evaluation is the 4th generation HR-Sherpa. It is the result of over six years of research and embodies technology from Hyundai Motor Group. It features six independently powered wheels based on electric drive, and it can continue to operate even if one wheel is destroyed.
The HR-Sherpa can follow soldiers automatically in a subordinate driving mode, in addition to remote driving capabilities. An AI camera enables it to track and aim at enemies automatically.
Hyundai Rotem won the DAPA's rapid acquisition project for multi-purpose unmanned vehicles in 2020, delivering two units. The latest model has upgraded performance, with a top speed exceeding 50 km/h. The maximum operational time has reportedly increased by more than double from the previous 12 hours. The HR-Sherpa is a platform for unmanned vehicles, allowing for various modifications. The unmanned fire-fighting robot jointly developed by Hyundai Rotem and the Korea Fire Agency is also based on the military HR-Sherpa.
The Arion-SMET from Hanwha Aerospace has six wheels and is battery-operated. It can travel over 100 km on a full charge. The top speed is reported to be 43 km/h on paved roads and 34 km/h on unpaved roads. It has the capability to remotely operate machine guns and rifles and can detect gunfire to autonomously rotate its weapons and engage in close combat support. The Arion-SMET underwent equipment demonstrations for U.S. Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in 2022 and completed performance tests at the Marine Corps training facility in Hawaii.
Hanwha Aerospace plans to develop unmanned vehicle technology in collaboration with Milrem Robotics, a European unmanned vehicle company. A Hanwha Aerospace official noted, “We will present a new alternative to respond to modern combat environments.”
DAPA plans to finalize the introduction of the model around late April, following the completion of the test evaluation.