US Military Unveils Concept Vehicle

The US military has called for companies to hurriedly develop semi-autonomous armoured vehicles that can jump, squat and dodge missiles.

The urgent request comes as the US military rushes to adapt to "asymmetrical" warfare, using swarms of vehicles in hostile environments.

The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced details for its Ground X-Vehicle Technologies, designated GXV-T.

It wants vehicles that can drive at more than 70mph over harsh terrain, using a single soldier to drive and operate weapons, and only needing the steering checked every 30 seconds.

Design suggestions include an ability to leap 7ft ravines, jump or squat to dodge missiles, and protective pop-up shields against insurgent-fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).

The driver/gunner needs to be offered 360-degree spatial awareness, irrespective of weather or time of day, to a range of up to 1,000 metres.

DARPA does not want existing technology proposals or fully-autonomous vehicle designs.

In a 48-page document released on Tuesday night, it said lightweight tactically mobile vehicles were needed to replace lumbering traditional armour formations, which are difficult to transport and require large crews to operate.

The agency said: "With anti-armour weapons still increasing in lethality, the armour side of the balance is again at a practical limit, as main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have reached weights approaching 70 tons.

"Less complex approaches have evolved, such as mines designed to attack the weaker bottoms of vehicles or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to attack the weaker sides of vehicles.

"[These are] approaches that are particularly effective in insurgencies where vehicles operate over the same roads for months or years," it said.

DARPA said companies must show proposals by 5 December and technology can be classified top secret or above - known as special access.

Designs must be perfected by 2017, with tests carried out on its "Middle East" proving ground in Arizona.

The DARPA proposal, known as a broad agency announcement, comes as the US and allied countries increase the use of special operations soldiers in hostile environments to avoid the use of large-scale "boots on the ground" forces against enemies including Islamic State (IS).

President Obama has already authorised 1,600 special operations commandos to fight IS in Iraq and the US is leading an air campaign as it seeks to prevent a caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq being established.

In a video released by DARPA, a four-wheeled vehicle senses incoming RPGs in an urban environment which could have been fired by an insurgent.

Earlier this year, Secretary of the Army John McHugh waed of America's slow response to the changing nature of asymmetrical terrorist and insurgent warfare.

Mr McHugh said: "Since 1999, the capability to deliver an operationally relevant force in a timely manner has remained stagnant or decreased."

Thousands of troops have been injured or killed in Afghanistan and Iraq due to IEDs hitting vehicles such as Humvees, which were not designed to withstand such blasts.