Among its unmanned systems dsplayed at IDEX 2021, French manufacturer Nexter displayed its Z-Trooper close to its CAESAR self-propelled howitzer operated by the French 5th Régiment de Cuirassiers (a cavalry unit) deployed in the United Arab Emirates.

Nexter's Z-Trooper with 155mm shell case (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Z-Trooper is a semi-autnomous logistics robot designed for mounted and dismounted combat. At IDEX 2021, it was displayed as a transporter of 155mm artillery shells, the 300kg maximum payload being added to the 300kg net weight of the robot. The high mobility of this tracked UGV provides excellent mobility capabilities in open and urban environments. The two on-board electric power trains are improving overall performances. The on-board 10 kW power supply can be used for various devices.

Z-Trooper can be remotely controlled and operated at long distances using semi-autonomous modes such as waypoints navigation (using standard maps), path record and replay or personnel-follower. On-board efficient obstacle detection guarantees safe autonomous mobility.

The platform has also been designed to easily address many other robotic applications in mounted and dismounted combat. The UGV can reach 35 km/h either forward or backward, and climb 40°+ slopes, depending on the nature of the terrain. It can ford a 20cm deep water obstacle and operate between -20°C and +55°C.

IDEX 2021: