The first American autonomous ground vehicles are fighting in Ukraine
Forterra has deployed more than 100 Forterra , a US builder of autonomous vehicles, revealed today that more than 100 of its self-driving ATVs have been deployed in conflict zones in Ukraine for the past nine months, in what the company believes is the largest deployment of autonomous ground vehicles in combat by any US defense tech company. "I believe this to be true of every defense technology that's ever been created-until you hit the realities of combat, you're just not going to know," Scott Sanders, Forterra's chief growth officer and a former US Marine officer, told TechCrunch.
Key Takeaways
- Funded by US defense dollars, the mission is part of growing effort to transform the US military through its support of Ukrainian resistance to Russian invaders.
While aerial drones have garnered much of the attention in the fight, the dynamics they've created - extensive no-go zones where surveillance can lead to death from above - have led Ukrainian strategists to seek ground-based autonomy as well.
- " Ukraine is already building its own uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) to help move supplies and munitions, or evacuate wounded soldiers, but they are typically battery-powered and can only carry up to 250 kilograms, according to a soldier in the Ukrainian army who has worked with the vehicles and who TechCrunch won't identify for security reasons.
Forterra's Lancer vehicles, based on Polaris ATVs and equipped with a custom-built sensor and compute stack, are gas-powered and can carry 750 kilograms of cargo, making them more versatile and useful.
- " They didn't feel that way at first.
The Ukranian Armed Forces have had have mixed experiences with Western contractors bringing new tech to the battle, and at first Forterra's offerings felt a little too geared for the high-end requirements of the US Army.
- Some has been lost in combat, particularly if they get stuck in deep mud or other terrain where Russian forces can target them at leisure.
Forterra has learned some useful lessons - about electronic warfare, updating their software from afar, how to maneuver in challenging conditions, and ensuring their vehicles don't break down.
- "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," the Ukrainian soldier explained.
Stats & Key Facts
- #The company, which has raised more than $500 million in venture funding from funds like XYZ Venture Cpaital and Moore Strategic Partners, is now better positioned to compete for lucrative national security contracts .
Forterra has deployed more than 100 Forterra , a US builder of autonomous vehicles, revealed today that more than 100 of its self-driving ATVs have been deployed in conflict zones in Ukraine for the past nine months, in what the company believes is the largest deployment of autonomous ground vehicles in combat by any US defense tech company. "I believe this to be true of every defense technology that's ever been created-until you hit the realities of combat, you're just not going to know," Scott Sanders, Forterra's chief growth officer and a former US Marine officer, told TechCrunch. Funded by US defense dollars, the mission is part of growing effort to transform the US military through its support of Ukrainian resistance to Russian invaders.
While aerial drones have garnered much of the attention in the fight, the dynamics they've created - extensive no-go zones where surveillance can lead to death from above - have led Ukrainian strategists to seek ground-based autonomy as well. "There's nowhere to hide," Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens, who leads a program developing autonomous vehicles and tactics for the US Army, explained. "You become very, very vulnerable to be able to be attacked by [first-person view drones], other sorts of drones dropping munitions, artillery, mortar, the full range of things that they have.
" Ukraine is already building its own uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) to help move supplies and munitions, or evacuate wounded soldiers, but they are typically battery-powered and can only carry up to 250 kilograms, according to a soldier in the Ukrainian army who has worked with the vehicles and who TechCrunch won't identify for security reasons. Forterra's Lancer vehicles, based on Polaris ATVs and equipped with a custom-built sensor and compute stack, are gas-powered and can carry 750 kilograms of cargo, making them more versatile and useful. "The bottom line is that this UGV for logistics and just maintaining our defense is the most important UGV in Ukraine," the soldier said.
For more details please read the original article at TechCrunch AI.
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