Photo By Sgt. Joseph Black | U.S. Army Spc. Brody Bradstreet, a motor vehicle operator assigned to 541st Division...... read more read more
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – On May 9, 2024, U.S Soldiers demonstrated the effectiveness of autonomous transport vehicles in a real-world convoy while supporting U.S. Marines and the Royal Saudi Land Forces during Exercise Native Fury 2024 in Saudi Arabia.
The annual exercise fortifies international ties while prioritizing the swift and effective deployment of resources into the region, fostering multinational training with Saudi military partners.
Soldiers from C Company, 541st Division Sustainment Support Battalion, showcased the capabilities of the autonomous transport vehicle buy conducting a convoy operation across the highways of Saudi Arabia.
“The [Autonomous Transport Vehicle] is an assisted driving vehicle where the driver can operate manually or in a robotic state,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Shane McCurry, assistant convoy commander for Native Fury 24. “[Our] participation in Native Fury 2024 is to show the higher echelons of the Army that the autonomous system can perform under long hours and in harsh conditions.”
While not in autonomous or robotic mode, the autonomous transport vehicle provides the driver with advanced safety features including blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control, said McCurry.
While in a robotic state, the system can perform a variety of different functions to maximize mission effectiveness, said 1st Lt. Jake Schindler, convoy commander and platoon leader for C Co., 541st DSSB.
“The biggest value of the autonomous transport vehicle is maintaining its logistical throughput in the region, without increasing the demand on the operators, the unit, and manpower as a whole,” said Schindler.
McCurry explained the mode indicators that the autonomous transport vehicle has surrounding the vehicle, an M1074 Palletized Loading System (PLS).
“When the light is green that means that the vehicle’s parking brake is engaged and the vehicle is in neutral,” said McCurry. “The blue light means that the parking brake is disengaged, and the vehicle is being operated in a manual mode. When the light is amber, that means that it is in a robotic idle state, which means that it is waiting for a command, and when it is flashing amber, it is executing robotic commands initiated by the march unit commander.”
One of the robotic commands that the march unit commander can execute is the leader-follower mode, which Schindler explained as a function that allows one manned system to lead one to three “follower” vehicles.
“The ATV enhances but does not replace the 88M or motor transport operator,” said Schindler. “It allows them to be more effective, it allows the unit to field a wider range of vehicles, all while not needing additional manpower or effecting operators’ work rest cycles.”
This year’s Exercise Native Fury 24 is the first time that U.S. Army autonomous transport vehicles are being tested and integrated into a live convoy with U.S. Marine Corps formations.
“At Native Fury 2024, we have been able to show that the system can operate on roads, that we can integrate it into Army and Marine convoys and that we can go from point “A” to point “B” robotically,” said Schindler.
At the conclusion of the exercise, the 541st DSSB will be able to take data received throughout the mission and with the support of the software developers, improve the overall effectiveness of the autonomous system.
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2024 11:51 |
| Story ID: | 473856 |
| Location: | SA |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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