U.S. Army Tests Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Recent Exercises

The U.S. Army released a solicitation last month for a new unmanned ground vehicle to deliver supplies across the most dangerous segment of the battlefield. The vehicle must move autonomously under fire, transport equipment at speed, and evacuate at least two wounded soldiers at a time.

In late January, the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division used Overland AI’s ULTRA vehicle during the Panther Avalanche exercise at Fort Bragg. The vehicles performed resupply missions, conducted reconnaissance, and served as decoys to draw out opposing forces.

Each unit carried about 1,000 pounds and navigated without GPS or operator communications. The division first embedded with Overland AI in November and trained roughly 30 soldiers over two days. Soldiers reported cutting resupply time by more than half during initial tests.

May, the Army’s 10th Mountain Division incorporated the Hunter WOLF vehicle into light infantry training. The system supports weapons, drone systems, and logistical equipment including water purification units. A company executive stated that the modular design allows soldiers to configure the vehicle quickly for different tasks without added complexity.

Unmanned ground vehicles have also been tested for one-way attack roles and swarming operations, following similar uses already demonstrated with aerial and surface drones.