DARPA's Future Armored Ground Vehicles Could Dodge and Shield Their Way Out of Danger

One of the key goals of DARPA's Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) program is improving the survivability of ground-based armored fighting vehicles by increasing vehicle agility. Vehicle agility involves the ability to autonomously avoid incoming threats, either by rapidly moving out of the way or reconfiguring the vehicle. This concept video illustrates three of many potential approaches: active repositioning of armor, burst acceleration, and suspensions that would enable the vehicle to dodge. Ground-based armored fighting vehicles have traditionally relied on armor and maneuverability for protection. The amount of armor needed for today's threat environments is becoming increasingly burdensome and ineffective against ever-improving weaponry. GXV-T seeks to develop revolutionary technologies to enable a layered approach to protection that would use less armor more strategically and improve vehicles' ability to avoid detection, engagement, and hits by adversaries.