MULE (Multifunction Utility / Logistics and Equipment)

History of MULE (Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment)

Soldiers in the modern realm have many different types of tasks to accomplish. The more equipment an infantryman carries, the more successful the mission will be, and may even save a soldier's life. An average 165-pound soldier weighs 240 pounds with his rut ??pack, gun, and water system.

Lockheed Martin has developed a robotic vehicle system called the Multi-Purpose Utility/Logistics and Equipment Vehicle (MULE) to assist in such operations. Three main variants of this 6-wheeled vehicle are currently in development - the ARV-A (L) Armed Robotic Assault Light Vehicle, designed to attack fixed locations and carry anti-tank missiles, and the Anti-Mine Vehicle (CMV) for this mission capable of Locating and disposing of landmines and transport vehicles (TVs), which are themselves the most developed, are used to transport additional equipment while supporting light infantry operations.

Naming the vehicle MULE is intentional. A true mule is essentially the descendant of a horse and a donkey, and inherits the best qualities of a horse and a donkey - solid and strong like a donkey, but as strong and intelligent as a horse and easier to control. The mule has always been a pack animal and has worked with the U.S. Army since colonial times, actually becoming its mascot.

Three such animals are kept at West Point and are cared for by cadets.

Some reports say there are more than 4,000 robots currently operating on land, air and sea in Iraq and Afghanistan, but robots in combat are not a new development. In 1940, the Wehrmacht ordered a small vehicle designed to transport 50 kg of explosives.

The Goliath carried a 60kg bomb, remotely controlled by a joystick connected by 3 wires - two for control and one for detonation. Thousands have limited success. In any case, the idea existed long before today's computer wars.

The Transport MULE is designed to follow and support two infantry squads on the battlefield and can carry up to 2,000 lbs of supplies. The mule weighs 3.5 tons (7,000 lb) and is operated by a soldier using a joystick. His interactions could put him miles away, or could use pre-computed on-board GPS routes in more dangerous locations. The main advantage of MULE is that you can go almost anywhere. The drive system is a 6x6 wheel independently articulated suspension system with individual in-wheel motors for each wheel, giving the wheels high maneuverability on difficult terrain.

The middle two wheels are set back slightly to allow vertical movement on the chassis - this allows the MULE to climb a metre high wall or traverse a metre long ditch. The suspension can be adjusted to allow the mule to travel horizontally at a 40-degree bank, keeping the centerline of the vehicle's load level.

This is an advantage when transporting wounded soldiers. The system also includes a water production and purification system. On-board generators also enable troops to recharge personal equipment on the battlefield.

The Mule entered SDD development in 2003 for $290 million. All three models will be delivered to Afghanistan in mid-2011.

Specification

Basic

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Depends on task parameters.

Changes