US Military Supports Deployment of Autonomous Ground Vehicles in Ukraine

The vehicles, called Lancer, are based on Polaris ATV platforms and are equipped with a custom-developed sensor and computing package that includes, among other things, a Starlink satellite internet antenna. This allows them to be controlled remotely, even though they have autonomous driving capabilities. "Trotz der eingebauten autonomen Fähigkeiten laufen die meisten Einsätze bislang per Fernsteuerung, nicht vollautonom," the company explained.

Combat Zone Deployment Figures

Since arriving in Ukraine last October, the vehicles have covered more than 4,000 kilometers in over 1,100 missions. They have transported a total payload of more than 350,000 kilograms and conducted 52 casualty evacuations. "Diese zusätzliche Kapazität macht sie nützlich für Versorgungsfahrten und Verwundetentransporte, Aufgaben, die durch die dichte Luftraumüberwachung mit Drohnen an der Front zunehmend gefährlich geworden sind," Forterra said.

Some of the vehicles were lost, according to Forterra. "Einige Fahrzeuge gingen verloren, meist weil sie im Schlamm oder auf schwierigem Gelände steckenblieben, wo russische Kräfte sie ins Visier nehmen konnten." The company also stresses that the vehicles are considered too valuable to be risked lightly. "Bislang werden die Fahrzeuge in Kampfgebieten von ukrainischen Soldaten hauptsächlich ferngesteuert. Das ist zum einen der Fall, weil sie zu wertvoll sind, um sie zu verlieren, zum anderen, weil autonome Fahrzeuge für die Realitäten des Krieges noch nicht ganz bereit sind."

Remote Control Rather Than Full Autonomy

Scott Sanders, Chief Growth Officer at Forterra, told TechCrunch: "Jede Verteidigungstechnologie muss in echten Kampfsituationen eingesetzt werden." Forterra, which began working on autonomous vehicles 20 years ago, is receiving financial support from the US military for the project. The company says it has raised more than $500 million in venture capital to date, including from XYZ Venture Capital and Moore Strategic Partners.

Competitors and Ukrainian Domestic Developments

Competition comes from other companies developing similar ground robotics for the military, including Scout AI, Field AI, and Overland AI. "Scout AI, das Anfang dieses Jahres 100 Millionen Dollar einsammelte, um Grundmodelle zu trainieren und eine Reihe autonomer Plattformen für das Militär zu entwickeln, zu denen auch autonome Bodenfahrzeuge gehören." Other startups such as Field AI and Overland AI are testing such vehicles together with the US military. Ukraine is also building its own unmanned ground vehicles to transport supplies and ammunition or evacuate wounded soldiers.

Next Stage: AI Response to Enemy Contact

Forterra says it is working on combining the algorithms for autonomous vehicles with generative AI software. "Diese sollen es Maschinen ermöglichen, allgemein auf ihre Umgebung zu reagieren." While the vehicles can already autonomously navigate varied terrain, they are not yet able to detect unexpected enemy forces and respond appropriately. "Wie bei anderen autonomen Systemen ist eines der größten Hindernisse die Erfassung der richtigen Daten," it said.

For the industry, the deployment marks a turning point in Forterra's view: "Die ersten in den USA gebauten autonomen Bodenfahrzeuge stehen laut dem Unternehmen Forterra im aktiven Kampfeinsatz in der Ukraine." Observers consider the analysis of the operational data collected so far to be central to the next generation of autonomous military vehicles.