AUSA 2025: General Dynamics Reveals Counter-drone MUTT XM Robotic Vehicle.

General Dynamics Land Systems revealed the MUTT XM robotic vehicle at AUSA 2025 in Washington, D.C., showcasing major upgrades in power, payload, and speed. The system builds on the Army’s S-MET program, signaling a shift toward more capable unmanned support platforms in future combat formations.

Washington, D.C., United States, October 13, 2025 - At AUSA 2025, the annual defense exhibition hosted by the Association of the United States Army, General Dynamics Land Systems unveiled its new MUTT XM robotic vehicle, a next-generation platform redefining unmanned ground mobility for future Army formations. Developed as an evolution of the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) vehicle already fielded with U.S. units, the MUTT XM incorporates what the company calls “eXpanded Mobility,” combining higher power generation, increased payload capacity, and faster ground speed to handle more demanding missions and heavier loads in complex operational environments.
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The new General Dynamics MUTT XM robotic vehicle showcased at AUSA 2025 features a Kongsberg RS6 weapon station armed with an XM915 20mm Gatling gun, highlighting its counter-UAS capability and advanced autonomous mobility for future U.S. Army missions. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Building on a proven electronic architecture and advanced mobility system, the MUTT XM UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) is engineered to function as both a logistics carrier and an autonomous combat enabler. For the first time at a public event, General Dynamics has equipped the vehicle with the XM915 three-barrel 20mm Gatling gun from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, mounted on a Kongsberg RS6 remote weapon station. This configuration transforms the MUTT XM into a mobile counter-UAS system capable of tracking and engaging low-altitude aerial threats through full integration with battle management software systems.

The XM915, the lightest 20mm Gatling gun developed by GD-OTS, offers adjustable firing rates between 750 and 1,500 rounds per minute while maintaining a total system weight of approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds). Designed to operate with standard M50 and PGU ammunition, it can also employ M940 multipurpose self-destruct rounds, which minimize collateral damage in dense or urban environments. When paired with the RS6 weapon station’s electro-optical sensors and automatic target-tracking capabilities, the MUTT XM can deliver autonomous detection and precision fire control against drones, loitering munitions, and light ground vehicles.

According to General Dynamics engineers at the AUSA exhibition, the MUTT XM’s upgraded hybrid powertrain generates more than 10 kilowatts of exportable power, sufficient to support directed-energy weapons, radar payloads, or electronic warfare systems. The vehicle’s modular chassis offers a payload capacity of over 3,000 pounds (around 1,360 kilograms), allowing configurations that range from reconnaissance sensors and resupply packages to robotic swarm launch platforms. The MUTT XM is designed for manned-unmanned teaming, enabling it to conduct forward reconnaissance, route clearance, or base defense operations either autonomously or under remote control.

The integration of a 20mm Gatling gun into a compact robotic carrier illustrates the U.S. Army’s broader transformation toward incorporating unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as a key part of modern combat operations. Platforms like the MUTT XM are moving beyond simple logistical support roles to become integrated combat assets that enhance situational awareness, increase survivability, and extend the reach of manned formations.

This shift is part of the U.S. Army’s ongoing modernization under the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) and Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programs. Managed by Army Futures Command and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center, these efforts aim to develop families of unmanned systems capable of reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and precision strike missions. Field experiments conducted under Project Convergence and the EDGE series have tested human-machine teaming in live scenarios, refining how autonomous vehicles coordinate with soldiers on the ground.

Senior defense officials have repeatedly emphasized that UGVs will not replace human crews but instead act as "loyal partners" in dangerous environments. The U.S. Army envisions robotic systems like MUTT XM operating alongside vehicles such as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle and the AbramsX, providing distributed firepower and reducing risk to soldiers in the most exposed positions.

The growing importance of UGVs also reflects the realities of modern warfare, where massed drone swarms, rapid electronic warfare cycles, and long-range precision fires dominate the battlespace. Peer adversaries including Russia and China are already fielding robotic ground platforms, prompting the U.S. Army to accelerate its own unmanned systems development to preserve battlefield advantage.

While the U.S. Army has not yet announced a procurement timeline for the armed MUTT XM variant, its public debut at AUSA 2025 signals a clear direction for future force design. By merging autonomous mobility, modular lethality, and digital integration, General Dynamics Land Systems positions the MUTT XM as a next-generation combat support vehicle ready for multi-domain operations.

For defense analysts and observers at AUSA 2025, the MUTT XM equipped with the XM915 20mm Gatling gun highlights a major milestone in the evolution of unmanned ground warfare, demonstrating how robotics, counter-UAS capability, and battlefield automation are converging into deployable, mission-ready assets for the U.S. Army.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.