By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
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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Designed to accommodate the same ammunition ‘pods’ utilized by HIMARS and the MLRS, the AML boasts compatibility with the entire spectrum of available 227mm rockets, including precision-guided variants, alongside the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missiles.
The Army’s pursuit of enhanced PrSM variants, such as anti-ship iterations and extended-range models capable of striking targets up to 620 miles away, underscores the AML’s adaptability and relevance. With the baseline PrSM version already being deployed, discussions revolve around future iterations equipped with innovative payloads, including swarms of loitering munitions.
The AML represents just one facet of the Army’s concerted efforts to bolster ground-launched long-range strike capabilities. Complementing this endeavor is the deployment of the Typhon system, a crewed land-based missile launch platform capable of firing SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles, which recently debuted in the Pacific region during exercises in the Philippines.
Beyond operational agility, AMLs offer a compelling proposition regarding risk mitigation and personnel optimization compared to manned launch systems. By enabling a smaller contingent of soldiers to oversee a comparable number of AMLs from a remote location, the Army can minimize exposure to enemy retaliatory measures.
The AML’s ongoing evolution coincides with the Army’s broader initiative to streamline its force posture significantly. With the promise of tripling firepower and magazine depth while minimizing the strain on force structure manning, the AML emerges as a pivotal asset in the Army’s arsenal.
Notably, the U.S. Marine Corps is pursuing a parallel trajectory, fielding multiple iterations of the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) based on the 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). This initiative mirrors the Army’s rationale. Marine ROGUE-Fires vehicles are slated to launch Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Tomahawk cruise missiles, with potential variants configured to utilize HIMARS and MLRS ammunition pods.
