First American Autonomous Ground Vehicles Enter Combat in Ukraine

Forterra, a US autonomous vehicle developer, has revealed the deployment of over 100 self-driving ATVs in Ukrainian conflict zones for the past nine months. This marks what the company believes is the largest combat deployment of autonomous ground vehicles by any US defense tech firm. Funded by US defense dollars, this initiative is a crucial part of the broader effort to modernize the US military by supporting Ukraine's resistance against Russian forces. Scott Sanders, Forterra's chief growth officer and a former US Marine officer, emphasized the importance of real-world combat experience, stating, "until you hit the realities of combat, you're just not going to know." While aerial drones have dominated headlines, their effectiveness in creating extensive "no-go zones" where surveillance can lead to lethal attacks has prompted Ukrainian strategists to seek ground-based autonomous solutions. Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens of the US Army noted, "There's nowhere to hide... You become very, very vulnerable." Ukraine already develops its own uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) for logistics and evacuations, but these are typically battery-powered with a limited 250-kilogram capacity. In contrast, Forterra's Lancer vehicles, built on Polaris ATVs with custom sensor and compute stacks, are gas-powered and can carry up to 750 kilograms, offering superior versatility. A Ukrainian soldier praised them, saying, "The bottom line is that this UGV for logistics and just maintaining our defense is the most important UGV in Ukraine. It's fucking fantastic, and we are dying to get more." Initially, Ukrainian Armed Forces harbored skepticism, having mixed experiences with Western contractors. Forterra's early offerings seemed overly tailored for high-end US Army specifications. However, modifications, particularly the integration of a Starlink satellite internet antenna, transformed the Lancer into an invaluable asset. Since their arrival in Ukraine last October, these vehicles have covered over 2,500 miles across more than 1,100 missions, transporting 777,440 pounds of total weight and completing 52 casualty evacuations. Despite their success, some units have been lost in combat, especially when immobilized in challenging terrain like deep mud, making them vulnerable to Russian targeting. Forterra has gleaned critical insights from this deployment, including lessons on electronic warfare, remote software updates, maneuvering in difficult conditions, and ensuring vehicle reliability. The company, backed by over $500 million in venture funding, is now better positioned to compete for lucrative national security contracts. However, the mission has also highlighted the current limitations of autonomy. Ukrainian soldiers primarily teleoperate the vehicles in combat zones, partly due to their high value and partly because fully autonomous systems aren't yet ready for the unpredictable realities of war. As one Ukrainian soldier explained, "We actually need to be able to respond to the enemy threats, live, while it's in front of the enemy, which the autonomy doesn't know how to do yet." Forterra, with two decades of experience in autonomous vehicles, is actively working on integrating classical self-driving algorithms with newer generative AI software to enable machines to react more generally to their surroundings. A significant hurdle remains data collection, especially for tasks not typically performed by humans, such as navigating minefields or operating weapon systems. Scott Sanders noted the need for a hybrid approach: "You need to be able to turn the dials and some things more of a classical robotics approach, and then leverage AI where you need to." Competitors like Scout AI, Field AI, and Overland AI are also making strides in this domain. Despite current limitations, American military experts, including Sergeant Major Wilkens, are convinced that "Ground autonomy is achievable now and we've seen it." Scott Philips, Forterra's chief innovation officer, observed firsthand the blend of manual and automated steps in Ukrainian operations, emphasizing the invaluable "ground truth" gained from direct combat exposure.