Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH has, on behalf of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), taken overall responsibility for the research project InterRoC VII (Interoperable Robotic Convoy VII). With the initiative, Rheinmetall says it is further expanding its leading role in the development of highly automated military logistics systems and achieving another milestone on the path to the digitization of military mobility.
The assumption of project responsibility came shortly before Rheinmetall’s top placement in the “Convoy Scenarios” category at the European Land Robot Trial (ELROB) 2026 at the Thun firing range in Switzerland. The international trial event is regarded as Europe’s most important demonstration platform for unmanned ground systems and autonomous robotics under realistic military operating conditions. There, Rheinmetall demonstrated the performance of its autonomous logistics solutions in convoy and transport scenarios.
Further development of interoperable convoys with InterRoC
InterRoC VII is the latest component of the research series Interoperable Robotic Convoy (InterRoC). The project’s goals are to advance highly automated convoy leadership as well as testing interoperable vehicle formations in which different vehicle platforms operate autonomously and safely together. The focus is on capable automation, perception, and decision-making functions as well as robust path planning for heterogeneous vehicle formations.
The developed technologies are intended to ensure reliable and safe convoy management even under demanding military deployment conditions. For InterRoC VII, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles relies on vehicles of the HX family. The military logistics vehicles will be equipped with Rheinmetall’s modular PATH sensing kit as well as a Drive-by-Wire Kit that is deeply integrated into the vehicle architecture. The open system architecture allows the continuous integration of additional sensors, AI-based software functions, and mission-specific algorithms.
Autonomy even without satellite navigation
This creates a scalable autonomy platform that can adapt flexibly to future requirements and new deployment scenarios. The systems developed in the research project build on Rheinmetall’s long-standing research and development work in autonomous ground vehicles. Even today the company already has technologies that enable automated driving functions both on roads and in off-road terrain under real military conditions.
A key technological focus lies on the ability to operate safely even in so-called GNSS-denied environments. Even in the event of failure or interference of satellite-based navigation, the vehicles can reliably perceive their surroundings, determine their position, and autonomously conduct complex convoy operations. This capability provides a decisive operational advantage, especially in electronically contested deployment areas.
Contribution to the digitization of military logistics
The capabilities demonstrated at ELROB 2026 feed directly into the work of the InterRoC VII research project. The Thun event offered the opportunity to demonstrate autonomous convoy leadership, sensor fusion, and decision-making algorithms under realistic conditions, and to further develop them together with international armed forces, research institutions, and industry partners. The insights gained form an important foundation for the next development steps within the framework of the research project.
With InterRoC VII, Rheinmetall underscores its position as one of the internationally leading providers of autonomous military logistics systems, according to its own statements. Automating logistics transport tasks increases the efficiency of military supply chains, enhances their resilience, and at the same time reduces the exposure risk to personnel. The research project thus makes a substantial contribution to the digitization of the battlefield and to the development of the next generation of networked military mobility solutions for the Bundeswehr.
In the context of work on object classification and environment perception, Driveblocks GmbH actively contributes as a specialized software and AI provider. Driveblocks develops modular autonomy and perception systems that fuse sensor data from cameras and LiDAR with AI-based models. The aim is robust real-time capture of complex 3D environments including object classification, free space and terrain detection, and safety-critical decision support. The technology is specifically designed for demanding off-road scenarios such as unstructured terrain, vegetation, dust, snow, and changing visibility conditions.
