L3Harris presented its new “Diamondback” autonomous ground vehicle prototype at AUSA 2024, held from October 14 to 16.
The defense manufacturer partnered with autonomous ground mobility company Overland AI to develop the vehicle’s CrossCountry Autonomy System that assists it in operating off-road and on unpredictable terrain.
The Diamondback was designed to address manpower shortages and the need for ways to conduct safe and efficient operations in situations that pose higher risks for military forces.
“We are expanding our platform and mission system autonomy capabilities, from air and sea, to support robotic vehicles making first contact with threats in land environments,” L3Harris Space and Airborne Systems President Ed Zoiss said.
Highly Adaptable
The Diamondback has an open modular system for rapid and cost-effective production and integration of new technologies to meet evolving threats and various missions, such as electronic warfare, radio frequency and optical sensing, and the deployment of autonomous drones.
While it was not designed for any specific US Army program, it was made to fill gaps in recon and security tasks in areas with high attrition rates or manpower shortages.
This unmanned ground vehicle was also designed to complement existing robot vehicles, such as the US Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle and Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport.
The prototype has a drone retrieval and launch system on top, L3Harris Director Hugh McFadden explained in an interview with Breaking Defense.
McFadden further said that the vehicle is fitted with a MX-10 RSTA modular sighting system to provide clarity on threats, making it ideal for surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
It also has the company’s Amorphous system for multi-domain autonomy control and Anti-jam PNT as package options.
According to McFadden, the Diamondback is targeted for demonstrations during spring and summer next year to get user feedback, aiming to develop the initial product by the end of 2025.