American Autonomous Ground Vehicles Introduced in Ukraine Conflict

Forterra, a U.S. company focusing on autonomous vehicles, has revealed the use of over 100 self-driving ATVs in various conflict zones around Ukraine for the last nine months. According to the firm, this represents the largest deployment of autonomous ground vehicles in combat scenarios by any American defense technology provider.

“With defense technologies, it’s vital to confront the realities of combat to truly comprehend their functionality,” remarked Scott Sanders, Forterra’s chief growth officer and a former U.S. Marine officer, in an interview with TechCrunch.

Supported by U.S. defense funding, this initiative is part of a wider strategy aimed at modernizing the U.S. military while assisting Ukraine’s struggle against Russian attacks. While aerial drones have garnered significant attention in this conflict, their limitations—such as creating vast no-go zones triggered by surveillance—have led Ukrainian strategists to consider ground-based autonomous options.

“There’s no place to conceal yourself,” noted Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens, the head of autonomous vehicle development for the U.S. Army. “You become highly exposed to assaults from [first-person view drones], various drones deploying munitions, artillery, and mortars—essentially the full spectrum of weaponry available.”

Ukraine is also developing its own uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) intended for transporting supplies and munitions or evacuating wounded soldiers. However, these vehicles primarily operate on batteries and have a payload capacity of 250 kilograms, as per a Ukrainian soldier acquainted with their capabilities. TechCrunch has opted to keep this individual’s identity confidential for safety reasons.

Forterra’s Lancer vehicles, based on Polaris ATVs and fitted with advanced sensors and computing technologies, run on gasoline and can carry up to 750 kilograms of cargo, enhancing their operational flexibility. “These UGVs for logistics and defense are essential for Ukraine,” declared the soldier. “They’re impressive, and we hope to procure more.”

Initially, there were concerns regarding the effectiveness of Forterra’s products, particularly given the mixed outcomes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Western technologies. Modifying the vehicle for combat—especially by equipping it with a Starlink satellite internet antenna—significantly boosted its operational performance.

Since their debut in Ukraine last October, these vehicles have covered over 2,500 miles and completed more than 1,100 missions, transporting 777,440 pounds of cargo and facilitating 52 casualty evacuations. Some units have been lost in combat, mainly when they became mired in deep mud or challenging terrains, making them vulnerable to Russian forces.

Forterra has gained essential insights into electronic warfare, long-range software updates, maneuvering in challenging conditions, and avoiding vehicle malfunctions. After raising over $500 million in venture capital from firms like XYZ Venture Capital and Moore Strategic Partners, the company is now better positioned to pursue lucrative contracts in national security.

The limitations of autonomy have become evident; currently, Ukrainian soldiers primarily operate the vehicles remotely in combat zones due to the high risk of losing them, as the technology is not yet capable of navigating the complexities of warfare independently.

Although the vehicles can autonomously traverse various terrains, they lack the capability to detect unexpected enemy forces and respond adequately. “We need to be able to react to enemy threats immediately, engaging them directly, and existing autonomy doesn’t permit that yet,” a Ukrainian soldier expressed.

With two decades of expertise in autonomous vehicles, Forterra is exploring the integration of self-driving car algorithms with advanced generative AI to enhance machine adaptability to their environment. Gathering the necessary data remains a significant challenge in autonomous technologies.

“Many tasks surpass the capabilities of open-source models since they don’t align with human actions, like navigating minefields or managing weapon systems,” Sanders stated in his discussion with TechCrunch. “We must find the right balance between traditional robotics approaches and AI functionalities.”

Other competitors face similar challenges; for instance, Scout AI secured $100 million earlier in the year to develop foundational models and a range of military autonomous platforms, including UGVs. Startups such as Field AI and Overland AI are also testing UGVs in partnership with the U.S. military.

Despite the obstacles confronting UGVs, American military experts argue that now is the opportune moment to invest in these capabilities. “Ground autonomy is now within reach, and we’ve seen its effectiveness,” Wilkens affirmed.

Scott Philips, Forterra’s chief innovation officer, visited a Ukrainian unit’s operations center to observe the vehicles in action, earning the unit’s respect for entering high-risk areas vulnerable to Russian attacks.

“What impressed me the most was identifying the gaps: which processes remain manual, where data must be re-entered or manually verified, and areas where the team has already automated or improved tasks,” Philips commented to TechCrunch. “Such insights from the field are invaluable, highlighting exactly where better tools could lighten the load for those engaged in real-time operations.”

One request from the Ukrainian forces: reduce the costs. While Forterra’s Lancers are competitively priced in their category, due to utilizing Polaris’ commercial supply chain, they are still deemed too valuable for free distribution akin to UAVs.

“Attrition is a stark reality on this battlefield. We’ve already lost several, leading to significant setbacks, and we need more of them, which necessitates a more affordable solution,” the Ukrainian soldier relayed to TechCrunch.