Nope...not a toy tank,its the Black Knight.The Black Knight (Vehicle) is a prototype Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle (UGCV) designed by BAE Systems. It weighs approximately 12-tons and is C-130 deployable, which means that the Black Knight can be airlifted by military transport aircraft. Similar in size and shape to a tank, it is armed with a turret-mounted 30mm gun and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The vehicle is fitted with a 300 horsepower Caterpillar diesel engine. The vehicle is currently being evaluated by the US Army. The Black Knight is capable of being used off-road meaning that it go through any type of terrain such as rocks or water. The vehicle is used in military tests that allows Soldiers to figure out the major roles of the tank in order to use it in a more advanced military force. Because of its autonomous and semi-autonomous (being able to control itself and be controlled by someone else) components this helps operators plan an efficient plan of attack as well as avoiding obstacles while finding its way from point A to point B. It also consists of three modules: the Robotics Operator, the Mission Commander, and the Safety Officer each serving their own purpose. The Black Knight is basically operated through the Robotics Operator Control Station(ROCS) which is inside an armed vehicle. UGCVs (Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicles) can be used at any time of the day missions deemed too dangerous for manned ground vehicles, including forward scouting, RSTA, intelligence gathering, and investigating hazardous areas. Its biggest advantage is that the unmanned vehicle can investigate areas that are too hazardous for a group of soldiers to see or check and it can be controlled by a Dismounted Control Device.What a marvellous piece of engineering I say,accomplishing missions without risking human lives. ~berkut
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 06:41:38 +0000
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