The U.S. Army has awarded $15.5 million in contracts to three startups to integrate self-driving systems into Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISVs), the service announced on August 27.
According to the Army, Forterra of Maryland, Overland AI of Washington, and Scout AI of California will each deliver prototype ISVs under the service’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Autonomy program.
“This effort will serve as an opportunity for the Army to assess the reliability of commercial autonomy and their ability to deliver real operational value to soldiers,” Col. Ken Bernier, project manager for Future Battle Platforms, which oversees the development and integration of advanced technologies, including autonomous systems, said in a statement.
By May 2026, the companies must have prototypes ready for delivery to U.S. Army. Testing will reportedly be conducted by the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
According to Breaking Defense, Overland AI plans to install its autonomy stack, Overdrive, into the ISVs, along with the hardware component known as Spark.
Scout AI will modify its Fury model to help uncrewed platforms handle different missions. “It’s a lot lower cost, higher capability and already at a rate in terms of production,” cofounder and CTO Collin Otis said.
Forterra will integrate its AutoDrive technology, which the company says can operate independently or as part of a connected force. “Our job is straightforward: build systems that work in the field and make the soldier’s mission easier,” said Pat Acox, vice president for defense business development.
