Lockheed Martin’s Fire Ox is less of a vehicle and more of an autonomous miniature fire truck. The Fire Ox is a modified version of the Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) prototype, also known as the Ox. After the prototype was sent back to Lockheed Martin from Afghanistan, engineers looked at other uses for the autonomous utility vehicle.
The Fire Ox is the same prototype that was sent overseas but completely re-tooled for specialty firefighting missions. It was outfitted with a remote-controlled fire hose that draws on an integrated 250-gallon tank. While this can combat most standard fires, it also has an attached 12-gallon foam cell to combat chemical fires.
With these tools, Fire Ox can do almost everything a team of firefighters can do, but instead of putting first responders in harm’s way, the Fire Ox can be controlled from behind a computer screen. With a payload capacity of approximately 1,000 pounds, it can autonomously traverse terrains using GPS coordinates and even follow designated individuals upon receiving specific commands.
Undoubtedly, this vehicle holds immense value in diverse emergency scenarios, including woodland firefighting, search and rescue missions, and structural firefighting. Unfortunately, it’s a prototype of a prototype and not anywhere near being ready for public use. Nevertheless, Lockheed Martin is refining the design of the Fire Ox, paving the way for small-batch production with the ultimate goal of making it available in the market.
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