The unveiling of the Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher (AML) heralds a new era for the U.S. Army, marking a significant leap forward in firepower capabilities without a proportional increase in personnel demand.
In a recent milestone, the Army executed its inaugural test-fire of an unmanned prototype rooted in the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher vehicle. The AML emerges as an essential asset, strengthening the Army’s capacity for ground-based stand-off strikes on both land and maritime targets while minimizing the need for additional manpower.
Conducted at the Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona, the maiden live-fire evaluation witnessed collaborative efforts from the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Aviation & Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC) and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center (DEVCOM GVSC).
Sporting a distinctively truncated cab section, the AML, an offshoot of the M142, has been in development since at least 2019, with several testing phases already completed. The visuals of what appears to be a standard M142 retrofitted for surrogate duty have been made public by the Army.
The AML is meticulously engineered for autonomous navigation along pre-defined waypoints, including integration within a convoy framework. Upon reaching its designated destination, it seamlessly transitions into remote operation mode, facilitated either on-site or from a remote location using teleoperation controls.
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