U.S. Autonomous Ground Vehicles Utilized in the Ukraine Conflict

Forterra, an American company focused on autonomous vehicles, has revealed the deployment of more than 100 self-driving ATVs in various conflict zones across Ukraine over the last nine months. This represents the largest deployment of autonomous ground vehicles in combat scenarios by any U.S. defense technology firm.

“In the realm of defense technologies, acknowledging the realities of combat is vital to truly gauge their effectiveness,” remarked Scott Sanders, Forterra’s Chief Growth Officer and a former U.S. Marine officer, in a TechCrunch interview.

Supported by U.S. defense funding, this initiative is part of a wider strategy aimed at modernizing the U.S. military while aiding Ukraine in its struggle against Russian hostilities. Although aerial drones have garnered significant attention during this conflict, their limitations—like creating large no-go areas for surveillance—have led Ukrainian strategists to consider ground-based autonomous options.

“There’s nowhere to hide,” highlighted Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens, who leads autonomous vehicle development for the U.S. Army. “You become highly vulnerable to assaults from [first-person view drones], various drones releasing munitions, artillery, and mortars—essentially the full spectrum of weaponry available.”

Additionally, Ukraine is developing its own uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) to transport supplies and munitions or evacuate wounded soldiers. However, these vehicles mainly depend on batteries and have a payload limit of 250 kilograms, as revealed by a Ukrainian soldier familiar with their specifications. TechCrunch has chosen to keep this individual’s identity confidential for safety reasons.

Forterra’s Lancer vehicles, derived from Polaris ATVs and fitted with advanced sensors and computing technologies, operate on gasoline and can carry up to 750 kilograms of cargo, significantly enhancing their operational flexibility. “These UGVs for logistics and defense are essential for Ukraine,” asserted the soldier. “They’re impressive, and we aim to acquire more.”

Initially, there were concerns over the efficacy of Forterra’s products, especially given the varying success of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Western technologies. Adapting the vehicle for combat—particularly by integrating a Starlink satellite internet antenna—greatly enhanced its operational performance.

Since their introduction in Ukraine last October, these vehicles have traveled 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 after becoming stuck in deep mud or challenging terrain, which left them vulnerable to Russian forces.

Forterra has gained vital insights into electronic warfare, the deployment of long-range software updates, navigating difficult environments, and addressing vehicle malfunctions. With over $500 million in venture capital from entities like XYZ Venture Capital and Moore Strategic Partners, the company is well-positioned to pursue lucrative national security contracts.

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

While the vehicles can autonomously traverse different terrains, they lack the capability to detect unexpected enemy forces and react accordingly. “We need to respond to enemy threats immediately, engaging them directly, and current autonomy does not permit that yet,” a Ukrainian soldier stated.

With two decades of experience in autonomous vehicles, Forterra is exploring the integration of self-driving car algorithms with advanced generative AI to improve machine adaptability to environmental changes. Gathering the necessary data remains a significant challenge in autonomous technology development.

“Many tasks exceed the capabilities of open-source models because they do not reflect human actions, such as navigating minefields or managing weapon systems,” Sanders noted in his conversation with TechCrunch. “We must find the right balance between traditional robotics methods and AI capabilities.”

Other competitors face similar obstacles; for example, Scout AI raised $100 million earlier this year to develop foundational models and various military autonomous platforms, including UGVs. Startups like Field AI and Overland AI are also partnering with the U.S. military to test UGVs.

Despite the hurdles facing UGVs, American military analysts assert that now is the appropriate time to invest in these capabilities. “Ground autonomy is now feasible, and we’ve witnessed 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 respect for entering high-risk areas prone to Russian strikes.

“What impressed me the most was identifying the gaps: which processes remain manual, where data needs to be re-entered or manually verified, and areas where the team has already automated or improved tasks,” Philips told TechCrunch. “Such field insights are invaluable, pinpointing where enhanced tools could alleviate the burden on those engaged in real-time operations.”

One request from the Ukrainian forces is to reduce costs. While Forterra’s Lancers are competitively priced within their category due to utilizing Polaris’ commercial supply chain, they are still considered too valuable for mass distribution like UAVs.

“Attrition is a harsh reality on this battlefield. We’ve already lost several, resulting in significant setbacks, and we need more of them, which necessitates a more economical solution,” communicated the Ukrainian soldier to TechCrunch.