The US Army received the first two prototypes of light combat vehicles of the “revolutionary” family of ground-based drones Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV), writes The Drive.
The publication notes that the American company Pratt Miller worked on the related products together with the leading British contractor QinetiQ. The light combat tracked vehicle in the basic configuration has a mass of about seven tons and received a hybrid engine that provides fuel economy and low noise. The product can reach speeds of up to 30 miles (over 48 kilometers) per hour. The main task of the light vehicle of the RCV family is reconnaissance. As a weapon, the combat vehicle receives the standard M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station II (CROWS II), which optionally includes, in particular, the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank system launcher.
In November, the Breaking Defense edition wrote that the RCV lineup will include robots from a light reconnaissance vehicle armed with a single anti-tank missile to a 30-ton unmanned tank “as strong as the 70-ton M1 Abrams.” At the same time, Popular Mechanics magazine noted that heavy RCV vehicles will be able to “kill” Russian and Chinese tanks, in particular, the T-14 “Armata” and Type 99.
In May, Defense News reported that American military-industrial companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin began production of the FGM-148F Javelin, which is distinguished from previous modifications by an improved warhead, where high-explosive fragmentation and anti-tank tandem-cumulative warheads are combined, allowing to effectively destroy not only tanks, but also lightly armored vehicles and manpower.
In September, Popular Mechanics magazine wrote that with proper use of FGM- 148 Javelin is capable of destroying dozens of armored vehicles traveling from east to west in Ukraine.