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Deployment

Ripsaw M5 (RCV) at Fort Irwin, California, USA

~10.5-ton tracked hybrid-electric robotic combat vehicle (with Howe & Howe); four M5 prototypes delivered to the US Army for RCV-Medium. The lighter Ripsaw M3 was reported as the 2025 RCV down-select variant.

Ripsaw M5 (RCV) by Textron Systems · Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verified · Defense UGV

Track Ripsaw M5 (RCV) at Fort Irwin, California, USA

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Textron delivered two RIPSAW M3 prototypes to US Army for RCV program. Selected as winner of RCV down-select in March 2025. Phase II will deliver up to 9 prototypes by FY2026.

Safety record

No incidents on record for Ripsaw M5 (RCV) at Fort Irwin, California, USA.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Trust tier
Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-08-09
Model
Ripsaw M5 (RCV)
Company
Textron Systems
Location
Fort Irwin, California, USA
Status
pilot
First seen
2024-10-03
ID
a210f5f7-4f2c-41fb-af80-78e8201e4695

Timeline

  1. Oct 2024
    First recorded
    Ripsaw M5 (RCV) first documented operating at Fort Irwin, California, USA.
  2. Aug 2026
    Current status: pilot, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

On the deployment map

Operates worldwide

Ripsaw M5 (RCV) is deployed globally rather than at a single verified site, so there is no map pin.

Free to use on your site, with a link back to DEPLOY.

Ripsaw M5 (RCV) operates in Fort Irwin, California, USA. Explore the full verified map:

Sources (1)

  1. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/army-taps-textrons-ripsaw-m3-for-robotic-combat-vehicle-program-sources-say/
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: defense_ugv

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Ripsaw M5 (RCV) at Fort Irwin, California, USA.

Common questions

What is the Ripsaw M5 (RCV) deployment at Fort Irwin, California, USA?
Ripsaw M5 (RCV), built by Textron Systems, is recorded as a deployment at Fort Irwin, California, USA on the DEPLOY registry. Textron Systems operates the deployment directly.
Who operates Ripsaw M5 (RCV) at Fort Irwin, California, USA?
Textron Systems, the manufacturer of Ripsaw M5 (RCV), operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the Ripsaw M5 (RCV) deployment at Fort Irwin, California, USA go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting October 3, 2024 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Have there been incidents at the Ripsaw M5 (RCV) deployment at Fort Irwin, California, USA?
No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

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