The first American autonomous ground vehicles are fighting in Ukraine

Forterra, a US builder of autonomous vehicles, revealed 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. Funded by US defense dollars, the mission is part of a growing effort to transform the US military through its support of Ukrainian resistance to Russian invaders. While aerial drones have garnered much attention, the dynamics they've created have led Ukrainian strategists to seek ground-based autonomy as well. 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 than Ukraine's own battery-powered uncrewed ground vehicles. Since arriving in Ukraine last October, the vehicles have driven more than 2,500 miles across more than 1,100 missions, carrying 777,440 pounds of total weight and completing 52 casualty evacuations. Some have been lost in combat, particularly if they get stuck in deep mud or other terrain where Russian forces can target them. Forterra has learned useful lessons about electronic warfare, updating their software from afar, and maneuvering in challenging conditions.