Arion-SMET
About
About Arion-SMET
Arion-SMET is Hanwha Aerospace's 6×6 electric unmanned ground vehicle for infantry support. Its modular platform carries up to 550 kilograms for ammunition transport, casualty evacuation, reconnaissance and close-combat support. Control options cover remote driving, autonomous off-road navigation, exploratory manoeuvring, physical tether following and leader or vehicle following, with an optional remote weapon station for armed configurations.
The vehicle travels up to 100 kilometres on a full charge and reaches 43 kilometres per hour on paved roads. Hanwha developed Arion-SMET for manned-unmanned teaming and has put physical vehicles through South Korean Army trials, demonstrations at Camp Humphreys and a US Marine Corps Foreign Comparative Test in Hawaii. Those evaluations establish demonstrated maturity; a production procurement or routine commercial deployment has not yet been established.
Operations
- Operating Metric
More than 98%; approximately 40 domestic suppliers - 2026-09-17 - Hanwha reports that more than 98% of Arion-SMET components are sourced in South Korea through approximately 40 domestic suppliers. Supplier names are not disclosed; no individual supply edge is inferred.
Source - Production Setup
6 platforms by 2030 - 2026-09-17 - Hanwha plans a dedicated Arion-SMET assembly area at Changwon Plant 2 in 2027, with Army and Marine Corps deliveries scheduled to begin that year. Its roadmap calls for six common UGV platforms across light, medium and heavy classes by 2030.
Source
Timeline
- Arion-SMET completes US military field testing
2024-01-04 - Demonstration - The physical vehicle was tested from 14 to 22 December 2023 at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows in Oahu. Exercises covered packed sand, soft sand, clay and rutted-road terrain after operator training. The exact 6×6 vehicle carried its 550 kg payload rating, 100 km range and multiple remote or autonomous control modes into the evaluation.
Source
Context
Comparable Systems
- HR-SHERPA
Hyundai Rotem - Defense UGV
- REX MK III
Israel Aerospace Industries - Defense UGV
- Modular UGV Platform
Stridar - Autonomous Mobile Robot
- Rheinmetall GOAT
Rheinmetall - Tactical UGV
- MANDRILL
Quantum Systems - UGV
- ULTRA
Overland AI - UGV