The US Army is exploring robotic F-250 pickups. The company behind them sees future mine hunters and breachers.
The US Army is testing autonomous Ford F-250 pickup trucks equipped with Forterra software to perform dangerous battlefield tasks like route clearance. By using commercial vehicles, the military hopes to simplify supply chains and reduce the need for soldiers to enter high-risk areas.
Why it matters
Integrating commercial technology into military operations could improve equipment readiness and reduce human casualties in hazardous combat environments.
An uncrewed F-250 driven by autonomous software. Forterra The Army will test four autonomous Ford F-250s in an upcoming exercise. Forterra's software is already used by the Marines' uncrewed missile trucks. Commercially available Ford parts could make the trucks easier and faster to repair. The US Army is preparing to test autonomous Ford F-250 pickup trucks in a training exercise, part of a broader effort to determine whether familiar commercial vehicles can perform dangerous battlefield jobs without soldiers. Forterra, the defense-technology company supplying the trucks' autonomous-driving system, says that the vehicles could eventually support missions such as route clearance and breaching , work that can require soldiers to spend hours searching mined roads and positioning explosives. The Army's XVIII Airborne Corps plans to experiment with four Forterra-equipped F-250s.
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