More than 100 autonomous ATVs made in the US have been engaged in combat in Ukraine for nine months.

      Forterra has deployed over 100 autonomous ATVs in Ukraine since October, successfully completing 1,100 missions and conducting 52 casualty evacuations, making it the largest deployment of combat UGVs by a US defense technology company. The US company, known for building autonomous vehicles, disclosed that these self-driving ATVs have been active in combat zones for the past nine months. Since their arrival, they have traveled over 2,500 miles and transported 777,440 pounds of cargo.

      The Lancer vehicles are built on Polaris ATVs equipped with specialized sensors and a computing system. They are powered by gas and have a carrying capacity of 750 kilograms, which is three times higher than that of Ukraine’s own battery-powered UGVs. A Ukrainian soldier stated, “This UGV for logistics and defense maintenance is the most crucial UGV in Ukraine. It’s fantastic, and we are eager for more.”

      The deployment is financed by US defense funds, part of efforts to modernize the US military while supporting Ukrainian resistance. The presence of aerial drones has created extensive no-go areas where surveillance can lead to lethal attacks, prompting Ukrainian strategists to shift towards ground-based autonomy. Some Lancers have been lost in combat, particularly in muddy areas where Russian forces can target them. The addition of a Starlink antenna has been a key modification for enhancing the vehicles' operational capability. Ukraine’s unmanned warfare industry is emerging as a billion-dollar sector, and Forterra's deployment introduces a US hardware component to this landscape.

      However, the limitations of autonomy are apparent. Ukrainian soldiers primarily operate the vehicles remotely in combat zones, as the autonomous systems currently struggle to recognize and react to unexpected enemy forces. One soldier explained, “We need to be able to respond to enemy threats in real time, directly in front of them, which the autonomy cannot yet accomplish." Forterra is exploring ways to integrate traditional robotics algorithms with generative AI to facilitate more adaptive responses.

      The primary request from Ukrainian soldiers is to lower costs. While Forterra’s Lancers utilize Polaris’s commercial supply chain to maintain affordability, they remain too valuable for unrestricted deployment like drones. A soldier remarked, “Attrition is a reality on this battlefield. We have lost a few, which was painful, and we need more at a lower cost.” The Pentagon's emphasis on drone dominance is attracting significant investment into autonomous military vehicles, with competitors such as Scout AI, Field AI, and Overland AI also testing UGVs with the US military. Forterra has raised over $500 million in venture capital.