The Defense Logistics Agency is handling the procurement through ADS, which serves as prime contractor for the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. American Rheinmetall will lead execution in the United States, backed by engineering and production support from Rheinmetall Canada.
The vehicles will be used for operational evaluation, experimentation and capability development. The work supports Marine Corps plans to expand autonomous logistics and mobility in expeditionary operations.
“This award represents a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with the United States Marine Corps,” said Matt Warnick, chief executive of American Rheinmetall. “For more than four years, we have worked side-by-side with Marines to mature, refine, and advance autonomous ground capabilities.”
“The Mission Master SP captures the full breadth of those lessons learned and showcases Rheinmetall’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge, reliable, and mission-ready autonomous systems,” Warnick added. The company said the new vehicles represent the most advanced Mission Master configuration it has developed.
The latest version uses Rheinmetall’s PATH autonomy architecture and supports modular payload integration. It also incorporates changes based on user feedback, development testing, live-fire events and operational experiments.
The Marine Kit extends the vehicle’s ability to operate in littoral environments. Five of the kits will be supplied under the new procurement for amphibious tasks.
“This collaboration between Rheinmetall colleagues enables the U.S. Marine Corps to deploy the Mission Master SP in multi-domain environments and continue to push boundaries of Canadian innovation,” said Pietro Mazzei, president and chief executive of Rheinmetall Canada. The Canadian company is the vehicle’s original equipment manufacturer and technical partner.
The award includes engineering support, logistics coordination and programme management. It also covers operator training, technical documentation and acceptance testing.
Rheinmetall said the systems could help Marine units move supplies, operate across dispersed areas and extend their operational reach. Autonomous vehicles are also intended to reduce the exposure of personnel to risk.
The order builds on more than four years of collaboration with the Marine Corps. Earlier work included the fielding of 12 Mission Master systems and integration of the Fieldranger Remote Weapon Station.
American Rheinmetall plans to develop its Maine site into a future U.S. Advanced Land Autonomy Center of Excellence. The facility would focus on PATH integration, production, sustainment and lifecycle support.
The current procurement does not require an immediate expansion of the Maine operation. Rheinmetall said it could support future U.S. manufacturing, workforce growth and long-term sustainment.
