The First American Autonomous Ground Vehicles Have Begun Fighting in Ukraine

The American company Forterra has deployed more than 100 autonomous ground vehicles across Ukraine. The event is being called the first instance of the full-scale combat use of American unmanned ground equipment in a real armed conflict.

What we know

Forterra specializes in developing autonomous control systems for ground vehicles. The deployed vehicles operate without the direct involvement of an operator, which makes it possible to reduce risks to personnel when carrying out tasks in a combat zone.

The scale of the deployment — more than 100 units — makes this a significant precedent for the military technology industry. Previously, American-made autonomous ground systems had not been used in such volumes under the conditions of a real conflict.

Context

Autonomous ground vehicles are seen by militaries as a way to carry out dangerous tasks — such as reconnaissance, cargo delivery, or mine clearance — without putting service members' lives directly at risk. The development of such systems has accelerated in recent years amid growing interest among the armed forces of various countries in unmanned technologies on land, in the air, and on the water.

The experience of using Forterra's equipment in Ukraine may become an important source of data for the further improvement of autonomous systems, as well as influence the decisions of other companies and governments about developing similar technologies.

Details about the specific tasks the deployed vehicles are performing, and the results of their use, have not yet been disclosed.

Source: TechCrunch