At the center of the programme is RENK America’s HMPT transmission drive-by-wire system, which enables autonomous vehicle operation. According to the company, the integrated solution supports Forterra’s AutoDrive technology while maintaining the same space requirements as the current transmission system.
RENK America stated that the drive-by-wire upgrade is designed as a plug-and-play solution that can be installed without altering the vehicle’s architecture or requiring significant redesign. The company said this approach allows autonomous capabilities to be integrated more rapidly into existing military vehicle fleets.
The company added that the programme forms part of a rapid capability kit initiative led in collaboration with BAE Systems. According to RENK America, the initiative is intended to accelerate the deployment of advanced technologies and improve mission readiness across the Army’s armored vehicle fleet.
RENK America said the drive-by-wire kit could also support autonomous capability integration on additional military platforms equipped with the HMPT transmission. These include the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Corey Johnson, chief executive of RENK America, said, “We’re focused on delivering capability that works in the real world.”
“Leveraging what’s already fielded and trusted is how you accelerate without taking unnecessary risk,” Johnson added.
RENK America stated that its HMPT transmission is currently deployed across the entire U.S. Army medium tracked vehicle fleet. The company said the established use of the transmission system provides a foundation for introducing next-generation capabilities such as autonomous operation.
According to RENK America, the programme reflects growing military interest in scalable and field-ready autonomous technologies for combat and support vehicles. The company added that the collaboration with BAE Systems and Forterra is intended to support evolving operational requirements and future battlefield mobility concepts.