Forterra Deploys 100+ Self-Driving ATVs in Ukraine Combat

Forterra, a US defense tech company, has deployed over 100 autonomous ATVs in Ukraine for the past nine months, marking the largest use of unmanned ground vehicles in combat by a US firm. The gas-powered Lancer vehicles, based on Polaris ATVs, carry 750 kg of cargo—triple the capacity of Ukraine’s battery-powered UGVs—and have completed over 1,100 missions, including 52 casualty evacuations and hauling nearly 778,000 pounds of supplies. Initially, Ukrainian forces were skeptical of Western tech, but adding Starlink antennas made the vehicles indispensable. The deployment is funded by US defense dollars and aims to transform military logistics amid drone-dominated battlefields where hiding is nearly impossible. Forterra’s lessons from the field—adapting to electronic warfare, remote software updates, and harsh terrain—are shaping future military autonomy. Why it matters: This real-world combat testing is accelerating the integration of ground-based AI systems into modern warfare, potentially reshaping how militaries approach logistics and casualty evacuation in contested environments.