Anduril Industries to Partner with Hanwha Defense USA on the US Army's S-MET Program

Anduril Industries, a defense technology company on a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology, has formed a strategic partnership with Hanwha Defense USA in pursuit of the U.S. Army’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment II program.

Anduril will serve as the prime contractor to deliver a modified, autonomy-ready Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) based on Hanwha’s proven Arion-SMET platform, which has already demonstrated its performance in highly-relevant and varied environments in the Indo-Pacific, including the latest Foreign Comparative Testing with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Hawaii. In addition to Anduril Industries and Hanwha Defense USA, Forterra (formerly RRAI) will bring its AutoDrive® vehicle autonomy solution to enable complex on and off-road maneuvers.

By combining Anduril’s mission software integration expertise with Hanwha’s proven hardware platform and Forterra’s mature autonomy stack, the partnership will deliver a differentiated UGV designed to bring capability far beyond equipment transport to a range of missions. Equipped with significant load-carrying and power generation capacity, as well as a modular architecture that ensures the vehicle can integrate and power a vast range of payloads, the new, upgraded vehicle brings both advanced capability and a reduced sustainment burden to dismounted infantry operations.

“We are thrilled about partnering with Hanwha Defense USA and Forterra to provide mature and proven hardware and software solutions to the S-MET program,” said Zach Mears, head of strategy at Anduril. “By combining Anduril’s electronics and software, Hanwha Defense USA’s proven hardware, and Forterra’s proven off-road vehicle autonomy stack, the partnership will bring speed, flexibility, and advanced capabilities to dismounted infantry. With a simplified user interface powered by Lattice, users will be able to quickly and easily command and control the S-MET to support lethal effects at the tactical edge.”

Anduril’s S-MET vehicle is designed with survivability in mind, meeting power and performance needs while maintaining a low acoustic signature, ensuring that it serves as an asset, not a liability, on the modern battlefield. Built to military specifications to support ground troops, the vehicle will enable Soldiers to simultaneously operate the vehicle, power and manage payloads, maintain communications, and carry out force projection and protection missions safely in complex environments.

“The U.S. Army’s S-MET Inc II requirement is a natural evolution for the Hanwha Arion-SMET vehicle, while the partnership with Anduril and Forterra provides a refreshing, innovative and agile addition to the Army’s industrial base,” said John Kelly, President & CEO of Hanwha Defense USA.

With a proven history of deploying robotic systems at scale in highly relevant environments, the combined team of Anduril Industries, Hanwha Defense USA, and Forterra stands ready to deliver advanced capabilities to the S-MET Increment II program that are aligned with both current and future soldier needs.