World-renowned Pratt & Miller has developed a prototype of future combat vehicles for the U.S. military.
The Multi-mode Extreme Travel Suspension (METS) by Pratt & Miller is a special chassis with innovative solutions designed to improve mobility, survivability and crew safety and performance without piling on armor.
In April 2016, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military, announced the eight companies selected to perform on the Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) program and Pratt & Miller Engineering was among those chosen.
And on 22 June 2017, DARPA revealed details of the new prototype developed by Pratt & Miller.
Pratt & Miller’s METS system aims to enable high-speed travel over rough terrain while keeping the vehicle upright and minimizing occupant discomfort.
According to the DARPA ‘s statement, the vehicle demonstrator incorporates standard military 20-inch wheels, advanced short-travel suspension of four-to-six inches, and a novel high-travel suspension that extends up to six feet – 42 inches upward and 30 inches downward.
The METS is the first known vehicle platform to incorporate a dual-mode suspension design: a low-travel suspension designed to offer safe and predictable road handling under normal driving conditions and a high-travel suspension that could overcome the most aggressive obstacles and terrain.
The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have expressed interest in future METS capabilities. On the basis of the new chassis, it is possible to create a whole family of unique combat vehicles, including robotic platforms.