Forterra, the U.S. autonomous vehicle developer, says more than 100 of its self-driving all-terrain vehicles have been operating in Ukraine’s combat zones over the past nine months. If confirmed, the deployment would represent what the company believes is the largest operational use of autonomous ground vehicles in combat by a U.S. defense technology firm.
“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 U.S. Marine officer, told TechCrunch.
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Ukraine Has Become A Testing Ground
Supported by U.S. defense funding, the deployment reflects a broader effort to evaluate emerging military technologies under real battlefield conditions. While much of the war has highlighted the role of aerial drones, it has also exposed growing demand for autonomous ground vehicles capable of transporting supplies and evacuating casualties under fire.
“There’s nowhere to hide,” Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens, who leads a U.S. Army programme focused on autonomous vehicles, told TechCrunch, pointing to the growing threat posed by drones, artillery and mortar fire.
Built For Battlefield Logistics
Ukraine has developed its own uncrewed ground vehicles, but they are generally battery-powered and limited to payloads of around 250 kilograms. Forterra’s Lancer vehicles, built on Polaris all-terrain vehicles, use petrol engines and can carry up to 750 kilograms, making them better suited for frontline logistics.
“The bottom line is that this UGV for logistics… is the most important UGV in Ukraine,” a Ukrainian soldier told TechCrunch. “It’s fantastic, and we are dying to get more.”
Lessons From Combat
Initially, Ukrainian forces viewed the system with some skepticism, but Forterra says adapting the vehicles by adding Starlink satellite connectivity significantly improved their effectiveness on the battlefield.
Since arriving in Ukraine last October, the vehicles have travelled more than 2,500 miles across over 1,100 missions, transported nearly 780,000 pounds of cargo and completed 52 casualty evacuations. Some have been destroyed after becoming immobilised in difficult terrain or exposed to Russian attacks.
The deployment has also provided valuable operational data on electronic warfare, software updates, mobility and vehicle reliability, strengthening Forterra’s position as it competes for future U.S. defense contracts.
Autonomy Still Has Limits
Despite the progress, Ukrainian operators continue to rely heavily on remote control rather than fully autonomous driving during combat missions. Current systems can navigate challenging terrain independently but still struggle to respond to rapidly changing battlefield threats without human intervention.
“We actually need to be able to respond to enemy threats live… which the autonomy doesn’t know how to do yet,” the Ukrainian soldier said.
Forterra is now working to combine its autonomous driving software with generative AI while continuing to rely on more traditional robotics for specialised military tasks.
Competition Is Growing
Forterra is one of several companies developing autonomous military vehicles. Competitors including Scout AI, Field AI and Overland AI are also working with the U.S. military to advance autonomous ground systems. Even so, military officials believe the technology has already proved its potential.
“Ground autonomy is achievable now and we’ve seen it,” Wilkens said.
Cost Remains A Major Challenge
For Ukrainian operators, affordability is becoming as important as capability. Although Forterra’s vehicles benefit from commercially available Polaris platforms, they remain too expensive to lose at the rate that aerial drones are routinely lost in combat.
“Attrition is just a fact of this battlefield,” the Ukrainian soldier said. “We have lost a few… we need more, and therefore we need them cheaper.”
The experience in Ukraine suggests autonomous ground vehicles are moving beyond experimentation. Their next challenge will be becoming affordable and adaptable enough for large-scale battlefield deployment.
