Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle
Encyclopedia
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| Gladiator TUGV | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 0 (Remotely operated) |
| Length | 1.78 m |
| Width | 1.12 m |
| Height | 1.35 m |
| Weight | 725.75 kg |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour Vehicle armour Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include tanks, aircraft, and ships.... |
[unknown] |
| Main armament | M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M240G Medium Machine Gun, 9 mm Uzi Uzi submachine gun The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi... , or Anti-Personnel/Obstacle Breaching System Antipersonnel Obstacle Breaching System The Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System is an explosive line charge system that allows safe breaching through complex antipersonnel obstacles, particularly fields of land mines. The Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System is joint DOD program for the U.S. Army and the United States Marine... |
The Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) was a remotely operated unmanned ground vehicle
Unmanned ground vehicle
An unmanned ground vehicle is a military robot used to augment the soldiers capability. This type of robot is generally capable of operating outdoors and over a wide variety of terrain, functioning in place of humans....
employed by the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. It is described as the world's first multipurpose combat robot.
The Gladiator is designed to be able to operate at all times of the day through the use of image intensifying
Image intensifier
An image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low light conditions such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes such as fluorescence of materials to X-rays or gamma rays, or for...
or thermal devices
Thermographic camera
A thermographic camera or infrared camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light...
. It
is designed to support dismounted units in all environments and terrain and is modular to allow the fitting of mission specific payloads. The main uses for the Gladiator were to include direct combat, surveillance, reconnaissance, and personnel obstacle breaching. It is equipped with a Thales
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
SWARM
SWARM
The SWARM Remote Weapon System is a fully armored remote weapon system designed and built by the Thales Group in Glasgow, Scotland. The SWARM system consists of two main assemblies: the Gun Processing and Interface Unit , which is operated inside the vehicle, and the external Weapon and Sensor...
remote weapon station
Remote Weapon Station
A remote weapon station, also known as a remote weapon system, is a weaponized system for light and medium caliber weapons which can be installed on ground combat vehicle or sea and air-based combat platforms. Such equipment is used on modern military vehicles, as it allows a gunner to remain in...
, which can operate a variety of weapons. Most are equipped with a 7.62mm M240 machine gun.
It is built by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control is a Lockheed Martin business unit based in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, Texas. The unit's offensive and defensive arsenal includes air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, naval rockets and missiles, fire control and sensor systems, fire support...
, with MillenWorks
MillenWorks
MillenWorks, known as Rod Millen Motorsports until 2005, is an automotive technology company started by Rod Millen in 1980. The company began by preparing Millen's rally cars, and evolved into designing and building them...
as a subcontractor.
192 Gladiators were expected to be deployed in 2007, however the Marine Corps lost confidence in the program and it was instead cancelled.
See also
- Armored Combat Engineer Robot (ACER), military robot
- Black KnightBlack Knight (Unmanned Combat Vehicle)The Black Knight is a prototype Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle designed by BAE Systems. Similar in size and appearance to a tank, it is armed with a turret-mounted 30mm gun and a coaxial machine gun...