Army releasing requirements for second RCV variant this week

The Army is releasing to industry draft requirements for the Robotic Combat Vehicle-Medium, the middle variant of the service's future autonomous platform for multiple formations.

The RCV-Medium is planned to weigh about 10 tons and play a direct-fire augmentation role, carrying a medium-caliber weapon cannon and anti-tank guided missile capability.

The service wants to transport the RCV-Medium on a C-130H or C-130J fixed-wing aircraft and have it ready for combat within 15 minutes after it’s offloaded, according to a document planned for release tomorrow on Federal Business Opportunities.

Other specifications include an on-board autonomy package that maintains "an aggressive cyber defense posture" while reducing cognitive burden, "silent drive" capability and ability to carry payloads of at least 5,400 pounds.

The vehicle should have three modes: tele-operation, autonomous operation via waypoint navigation and leader-follower operation, the document states.

The Army earlier this week issued a notice for a coming request for white papers for the RCV-Light, the reconnaissance-focused variant intended to weigh about 7 tons.

Officials in April said they were planning a three-phase experimentation project for the RCV, gradually moving from the lighter platforms to the RCV-Heavy, which will act as "a robotic wingman," weighing at least 20 tons.