Photo: General Dynamics
For a number of years now the world has gotten used to the term TRX applied to an impressive pickup truck. Supposedly meant to stand for Tyrannosaurus Rex, which as you all know is the perceived king of the dinosaur world, the moniker hides behind it a 702 hp vehicle that has few natural competitors.
The U.S. Army might be getting a TRX for its military uses as well, but it's not the Ram-built truck. In its case, TRX stands for Tracked Robot 10-ton, and we're talking about a machine made by General Dynamics Land Systems.
The robot is one of four platforms to have been chosen by the Army for the future robotic combat vehicle (RCV) program. It will compete against similar machines made by Textron Systems, HDT, and Oshkosh Defense, to become an important asset for ground military operations of the future.
We've already discussed the proposal submitted by Textron and HDT, namely the Ripsaw M3 and the Wolf-X, and now it's time for the TRX.
General Dynamics' solution is, just like the Ripsaw, a tracked platform on which a variety of tools can be installed: long-range loitering munitions, short-range air defense, and anti-drone weapons. Additionally, it can also act as a source of "exportable power to support mission command operations. "
The system has not been fully detailed by Textron, this thing being meant for military use and all, but we do know it will be easy to move to areas of operations by current military platforms - the Wolf-X competitor, for instance, fits inside a Chinook helicopter.
The platform is a hybrid-electric machine that uses an undisclosed kind of powertrain of publicly unknown capabilities. Aside from being suitable for use as a weapons platform, it is capable of conducting autonomous resupply missions, breaching obstacles, and conducting electronic warfare and reconnaissance – all of that, of course, when the proper setup is chosen, and the right gear installed.
We don't get any info on the robot's field capabilities, but General Dynamics does say the TRX "is built to maneuver at speed with all formations" and that it comes with a payload-to-chassis ratio of 1:1.
The TRX will be shipped to the Army as two prototypes by August next year, and testing will begin. The Army is expected to run tests on these two prototypes (and those of its competitors) well into 2025, when a decision is expected as to which platform will become the soldiers' mechanized companions.
Full deployment of the robotic combat vehicle is expected in 2028, at the end of an investment effort that is likely to reach a total of $750 million.
As always, autoevolution will keep an eye out for developments on this story and update as soon as anything new reaches us.
The robot is one of four platforms to have been chosen by the Army for the future robotic combat vehicle (RCV) program. It will compete against similar machines made by Textron Systems, HDT, and Oshkosh Defense, to become an important asset for ground military operations of the future.
We've already discussed the proposal submitted by Textron and HDT, namely the Ripsaw M3 and the Wolf-X, and now it's time for the TRX.
General Dynamics' solution is, just like the Ripsaw, a tracked platform on which a variety of tools can be installed: long-range loitering munitions, short-range air defense, and anti-drone weapons. Additionally, it can also act as a source of "exportable power to support mission command operations. "
The system has not been fully detailed by Textron, this thing being meant for military use and all, but we do know it will be easy to move to areas of operations by current military platforms - the Wolf-X competitor, for instance, fits inside a Chinook helicopter.
The platform is a hybrid-electric machine that uses an undisclosed kind of powertrain of publicly unknown capabilities. Aside from being suitable for use as a weapons platform, it is capable of conducting autonomous resupply missions, breaching obstacles, and conducting electronic warfare and reconnaissance – all of that, of course, when the proper setup is chosen, and the right gear installed.
We don't get any info on the robot's field capabilities, but General Dynamics does say the TRX "is built to maneuver at speed with all formations" and that it comes with a payload-to-chassis ratio of 1:1.
The TRX will be shipped to the Army as two prototypes by August next year, and testing will begin. The Army is expected to run tests on these two prototypes (and those of its competitors) well into 2025, when a decision is expected as to which platform will become the soldiers' mechanized companions.
Full deployment of the robotic combat vehicle is expected in 2028, at the end of an investment effort that is likely to reach a total of $750 million.
As always, autoevolution will keep an eye out for developments on this story and update as soon as anything new reaches us.
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