“I think [industry has] the challenge of understanding what the demand signal is, and then again where to put their dollars," Warren Sponsler, the COO of NAMC, said in an interview.
One commander, many robots: Fully autonomous ground vehicles are reshaping the battlefield.
There is no single answer to the drone threat, pushing the Pentagon toward a broader mix of defenses.
An Army official told Breaking Defense the service's original plan to build a software backbone itself makes less sense now that there's real industry investment in the capability.
The six companies awarded through prototype Other Transaction Agreements are: Maren-Go, Overland AI, Forterra, Hendrick’s Motorsports, American Rheinmetall and HDT, according to a service release.
The service has swapped ISVs for MRZRs for its UxS initiative, an Army official told Breaking Defense.
The program aims to minimize troops' exposure to danger and ensure safe passage of follow-on forces, according to the Army.
Both aircraft are designed to evolve as threats and mission requirements change.
The Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle consists of a commercial Ford F600 model truck tricked out with Kodiak’s autonomous driving software and Eprius’ high-power microwave (HPM) c-UAS platform.
The Army’s largest combat formation in Europe has been testing over 17 UGVs as part of the service’s xTech Edge Strike Ground competition.
“If acquisition reform is going to be successful … it will take us exercising our authority to stop things that don't make sense anymore. Even if they're new,” Army Chief Technology Officer Alex Miller told Breaking Defense.