The Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV) a three-year contract to develop and test concepts for robotic and autonomous systems (RAS).
The goal is to deliver an integrated RAS capability designed for complex, real-world combat scenarios.
The overarching aim of this initiative is to craft a comprehensive RAS strategy and establish detailed implementation roadmaps for adopting RAS technologies in military service.
IDV’s task involves integrating uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) and uncrewed air systems (UASs) within a unified, advanced, interoperable command and control (C2) system spread across designated network nodes.
The company will lead the programme, collaborating with a consortium of technology providers from Nato member countries that offer complementary RAS technologies. This team includes LEM, Siralab, and Rebel Alliance.
IDV’s VIKING UGV and the optionally uncrewed light multirole vehicle are capable of manual operation, teleoperation, or autonomous driving, and are equipped with various mission payloads.
This March, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration acquired the VIKING UGV from IDV. The procurement is part of the Autonomous Multifunctional Ground Vehicle Demonstrator Programme.
The programme with NSPA will involve practical experiments with the Italian Army and other Nato forces to demonstrate how these systems can enhance operational advantage, mission effectiveness, and safety while informing military doctrine on the battlefield.
Initial test scenarios will cover a range of operations such as resupply, casualty evacuation, forward medical evacuation, reconnaissance along communication routes, intelligence surveillance, and more.
In May this year, IDV signed a memorandum of understanding with BAE Systems Hägglunds to collaborate on the BvS10 armoured all-terrain vehicle for the Italian market.
The BvS10 is engineered to deliver comprehensive operational support and manoeuvrability across a wide range of challenging terrains.
