AM General has unveiled a next-generation Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) demonstrator equipped with a Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret during the Modern Day Marine exhibition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The platform is already undergoing testing ahead of a US Army request for proposals anticipated later in 2026, positioning the system as a near-term procurement candidate rather than a purely conceptual display. The UGV has been developed through a multi-industry partnership combining capabilities across the autonomous systems architecture. Contributors include Textron Systems, Carnegie Robotics, and Moog Inc., integrating unmanned systems design, autonomy software, and weapons integration into a single platform. The resulting vehicle is a wheeled autonomous system fitted with a remote weapon station, designed to support logistics, resupply, reconnaissance, and broader mission support roles while reducing personnel exposure in contested environments.
Central to the platform’s lethality and modularity is Moog’s Reconfigurable Self-Loading Equipment Dock (MR SLED), which incorporates the RIwP turret. This architecture provides a mission-configurable solution for air defence and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), building on the RIwP’s operational track record with US Army programmes such as Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) Increment 1 (SGT Stout) and the Mobile Low, Slow Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS). The RIwP family—comprising standard and lightweight variants—offers a scalable remote weapon station capable of integrating multi-domain payloads. The system supports a wide range of direct-fire weapons, including medium-calibre cannons (25 mm to 30 mm), heavy machine guns, and grenade launchers, alongside missile systems such as Stinger, Javelin, TOW, and Hellfire. It also accommodates advanced sensor suites, including stabilized electro-optical/infrared sights, radar integration, and passive detection systems, as well as electronic warfare and directed-energy payload options.
Designed as a platform-agnostic system, RIwP enables reconfiguration in the field to match evolving mission requirements. Its modular architecture allows integration of emerging payloads, including loitering munitions, counter-drone effectors, and non-lethal systems, ensuring growth potential aligned with future operational demands. The operational concept underpinning the AM General UGV aligns with the US Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 strategy, which emphasizes distributed operations across contested environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific theatre. In such scenarios, small, dispersed units require autonomous resupply and reconnaissance capabilities that minimize risk to personnel. A UGV capable of transporting supplies, conducting surveillance, and deploying integrated air defence systems provides commanders with increased operational flexibility while mitigating vulnerabilities associated with manned platforms in drone-intensive threat environments.
AM General is an American heavy vehicle and contract automotive manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee that are assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana. From 1974 through 1979, the company also manufactured transit buses, making more than 5,400 of them. AM General has also been a provider of vehicles for the CUCV program carried out by the United States Armed Forces. In 1984, AM General built a factory for HMMWV production at 13200 McKinley Hwy in Mishawaka. In 1992, AM General began marketing the HMMWV to the civilian market under the Hummer brand. In 1999, GM acquired the rights to the brand and continued production of the original civilian Hummer as the H1 until June 2006. In 2002, the Hummer H2 went on the market and was produced until January 2009. It was designed and marketed by GM, and manufactured by AM General at the Mishawaka plant. AM General did not build the H3 model.
