en.Wedoany.com Reported - American Rheinmetall has partnered with Harbinger to jointly develop and deploy a series of robotic and unmanned ground vehicles.
European nations and the United States are increasing military spending. U.S. President Donald Trump has called for raising U.S. defense spending to $1.5 trillion by 2027, a 50% increase over the 2026 budget.
According to Rheinmetall, the two companies will collaborate on current and emerging programs for the Department of War as part of their robotics and unmanned vehicle partnership. Matthew Warnick, CEO of American Rheinmetall, stated that soldiers need a reliable and low-cost robot that can be deployed in the quantities required to win. Warnick noted that Harbinger's drive-by-wire hybrid electric platform is one of the most suitable commercial chassis for autonomy in the U.S. today, and combined with American Rheinmetall's experience in Army mission system integration, it provides the Department of War with an expendable, autonomous, and rapidly scalable option that is U.S.-designed, manufactured, and ready for combat.
The initial collaboration focuses on autonomous tactical wheeled vehicles, contested logistics resupply, and robotic platforms aligned with U.S. Army priorities for autonomy and manned-unmanned teaming.
Commenting on the partnership, John Harris, co-founder and CEO of Harbinger, said that Harbinger has always built for the toughest jobs, and the warfighter's job is the toughest. Partnering with American Rheinmetall, one of the most capable ground system integrators serving the Department of War, enables the company to offer autonomous platforms at a price point that achieves true expendable scale. Harris stated that together, they can provide soldiers with affordable, ubiquitous, and rugged enough robotic systems, removing the driver from the vehicle through advanced autonomy and remote operation, keeping military personnel out of harm's way.
Harbinger is a U.S. industrial manufacturer specializing in electrification technologies, including fully electric and hybrid medium-duty vehicle platforms, batteries and drivetrains, and auxiliary power solutions. The company recently announced the formation of a new defense division, Harbinger Praesidia, to provide configurable unmanned military ground vehicles for military logistics, battlefield communications, troop transport, perimeter security, and counter-drone operations. Its "Defense Platform" offers a hybrid driving range of over 500 miles, can output up to 350 kilowatts of external power, and has a top speed of 65 miles per hour.
IQT, an "investment capital nonprofit" originally founded by the CIA, is a "strategic investor" in Harbinger's entry into the government and national security market. On its website, IQT states that its approach has provided solutions for the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, as well as other defense and intelligence agencies.
Harbinger's move into the defense sector comes as JLR, GM, Mercedes, and Volkswagen are all considering or have confirmed entry into the field. Mercedes confirmed earlier this week that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TYTAN Technologies for mobile air defense systems to counter small first-person view drones. JLR and GM are also considering manufacturing military trucks for the UK defense sector. In April, two sources revealed that Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems had signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen to acquire its plant in Osnabrück, Germany.
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