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Archive for the ‘Robotics’ Category

Overland AI Demonstrates Soldier-Led Autonomy Across Day and Night Operations

Monday, June 16th, 2025

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo., June 10, 2025 — Overland AI’s fully autonomous tactical vehicles, ULTRA, were deployed across 15 live mission scenarios to comprehensively demonstrate end-to-end, Soldier-operated ground autonomy.

ULTRA, Overland’s fully autonomous tactical vehicle, operating in dense forest and utilizing tree line for cover during mission scenarios at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Soldiers from the 555th, 36th, and 20th Engineer Brigades, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, executed these 15 missions using two ULTRAs. They also leveraged Overland’s tactical C2 interface, OverWatch, to plan, execute, and adapt operations on the fly. From pre-operation vehicle checks, payload swaps and munition loading, to mission planning and execution in OverWatch, the experimentation event was conducted almost entirely by end users.

“This was a particularly unique event,” said Chris Merz, who serves as the director of product at Overland AI. “Nearly every phase of the operation—from munition loading to software-based replanning—was in the hands of the Soldier. We saw real independence from the operator, not just in planning and execution, but in adapting tactics in real time.”

ULTRA deploying smoke deception to confuse the enemy and create an element of surprise during a day mission in wooded terrain.

Participating units were tasked with planning complex, multi-vehicle missions. Soldiers used ULTRA’s modular platform for kinetic and electronic warfare breaching, terrain shaping with XM204s, deception, obscuration, and delivery of third-party payloads, including uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities.

Overland’s autonomy stack is highly adaptable in the field. Some operators re-tasked vehicles mid-mission in response to enemy activity and adjusted payload configurations under time pressure with little notice. Other operators, planning two simultaneous terrain-shaping missions with over 20 checkpoints and five tasks per vehicle, took less than three minutes to plan.

A Soldier from the 555th Engineer Brigade plans a series of missions with ULTRAs using OverWatch, Overland’s intuitive, tactical command and control (C2) interface.

“Our mission is to empower the Armed Forces to dominate any and all missions they need to accomplish,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and chief executive officer of Overland AI. “This wide-ranging event showed that Soldiers both trust our autonomous land systems and can leverage our versatile capability from start to finish.”

Overland AI remains committed to advancing autonomous military technologies, having previously secured an $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop autonomy software for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program. The company continues to support a range of U.S. military programs, including the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command.

To learn more about Overland AI and see open roles, visit www.overland.ai.

Milrem Robotics Showcases THeMIS Combat-Cargo UGV at Indo Defence 2025

Tuesday, June 10th, 2025

Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading developer of robotics and autonomous systems, will exhibit its THeMIS Combat unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) integrated with Valhalla’s LOKI Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) at Indo Defence 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The cost-efficient version on display has additional cargo space to meet end-users’ needs.

The THeMIS Combat is designed to support military operations in high-threat environments by enabling remote threat identification and engagement before human forces are exposed. As part of the Forward Line of Robotics, it plays a critical role in neutralising key enemy assets and generating operational momentum that ground forces can capitalise on with reduced risk and casualties.

“Integrating robotic systems into combat formations allows military units to enhance their operational effectiveness significantly,” said Patrick Shepherd, Chief Sales Officer at Milrem Robotics. “Unmanned systems like the THeMIS Combat extend the reach and capability of existing units, enabling them to achieve more with fewer resources and greater protection.”

Equipped with the LOKI RCWS, the system combines precise firepower with tactical versatility. LOKI supports weapon calibres ranging from 5.56 mm to 12.7 mm and can effectively engage targets at distances of up to 2000 metres. In addition to its firepower capabilities, LOKI can also operate in a counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) role, thereby expanding the platform’s mission profile. Its compact form factor, along with the THeMIS UGV’s high payload capacity, allows for the integration of additional mission equipment and supplies, alleviating the logistical and cognitive burden on dismounted troops.

Together, the THeMIS Combat and LOKI RCWS demonstrate the operational advantages of unmanned systems in enhancing force protection, extending battlefield reach, and increasing mission effectiveness in complex environments.

The system will be on display at Stand 351 in Hall B.

Ghost Robotics’ Manipulator Arm Debuts at CANSEC

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

During last week’s CANSEC conference in Ottawa I had the opportunity to observe the new Manipulator Arm in action.

A payload accessory for the Vision 60 Quadraped Unmanned Ground Vehicle, it offers seamless integration with 6 Degrees of Freedom. The arm will extend up to 1 meter.

It is designed to be back-driveable, mirroring the robot’s leg robustness while enabling direct force-sensing through the motors. This allows precise manipulation and even door opening. Despite 25 lbs of gripping force, with cameras in the pincers and force feedback, it won’t crush what it’s holding unless you want it crushed.

The control system automatically coordinates the arm with the body and legs to increase the reach and force capabilities of the combined system. This integrated arm finds applications in EOD, manufacturing, disaster response, and hazardous environments, enhancing productivity and safety.

In Canada, Ghost Robotics systems are available through Millbrook Tactical.

Warfighters Put Emerging Technologies to the Test at Fort Leonard Wood

Thursday, May 29th, 2025

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Army Futures Command Maneuver Support Battle Lab is winding down this year’s Maneuver Support and Protection Integration eXperiments and Army Application Lab assessments, in which warfighters conducted simulated battlefield experiments with 14 emerging technologies from May 5 to 16, 2025, at locations across Fort Leonard Wood.

“Protection, though largely attributed to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, is everyone’s responsibility,” said Kyle Henry, MSBL Experimentation Branch chief and one of the key organizers of the event.

According to Henry, MSPIX puts the latest tools in the hands of Soldiers while also giving capability developers and the science community credible and validated operational experiment venues for their conceptual and materiel development.

“Engineers and scientists can get lost behind their computer screens and become narrow sighted within the confines of their labs. Their ideas of how something might benefit a Soldier in real world applications are often biased and skewed,” Henry said. “Bringing their capabilities — often their life’s work — out into the field with the Soldiers who may become the end-user provides a reality check for all involved.”

MSPIX participants include both government labs and private industry.

“The vast majority of technology providers are not under contract with the government and pay-to-play, meaning they bring their technology and support to us at no cost. Through coordination with Army Test and Evaluation Command and MSCoE, we can put these capabilities into the hands of Soldiers, something that is mutually beneficial, at a relatively low cost to the taxpayer,” Henry explained.

AAL’s assessments focused on robotic breaching and terrain shaping operations, while MSPIX tested several unmanned and autonomous technologies.

About 50 U.S. Army Forces Command Soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood; Fort Cavazos, Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Vicenza, Italy, took part in the assessments.

Some of the experiments had Soldiers controlling unmanned drones, vehicles and boats traversing air, land and water.

Sgt. Mariano Negron, a 12C, or bridge crewmember, with the 74th Multi-Role Bridge Company at Fort Cavazos, spent much of May 13 at Training Area 250’s lake using a system that allowed him to control a bridge erection boat, commonly called a BEB, from a handheld controller.

He said he regularly uses BEBs to build bridges, but not with a remote control.

“I am used to using handheld controllers to play games and it is similar to that. I picked it up easily. It’s like driving a remote-controlled car,” Negron said.

The system can be fitted to existing vessels already in the Army’s inventory to facilitate remote control or autonomous operation.

“We could use this to build bridges without having Soldiers enter the water,” Negron said. “If we needed to remain covered but also needed to bridge a gap to transport troops or cargo we could with this technology.”

Negron said it felt good to be able to provide guidance to the system’s creators.

“We operate these boats all the time. We know how to make these boats do what we need them to do to complete our mission. I have been able to give them feedback that I hope will improve this technology if we get it someday in the future,” Negron said.

Capt. Adam Robinson, an experimentation officer with the Maneuver Support Capability Development Integration Directorate of AFC at Fort Leonard Wood, supervised the testing of seven technologies at Training Area 401.

“We are running platoon style lanes to test the remote breaching and terrain shaping capabilities of these technologies,” Robinson said. “We are giving a platoon leader, a platoon sergeant and a section of combat engineers a mission to complete with these new technologies and watching how they use the technology to execute.”

Robinson said he was impressed by watching how the Soldiers operated a robotically controlled utility terrain vehicle.

“The way it can move and track is pretty impressive,” Robinson said. “The engineers are using them to shape terrain, but as a MP, I would use it for surveillance or resupply. It has a variety of applications.”

Other technologies assessed the capabilities of autonomous track loaders for dig, dump and fill operations; autonomous biological critical area disinfection; a mobile sensing system designed to detect the movement of targets and provide visual imaging; equipment delivering a broad-spectrum electromagnetic pulse during breaching operations; and bioreporters created to detect nerve agents for standoff chemical threat detection.

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

See The GHOSTROBOTICS Vision 60 in Action at CANSEC

Friday, May 23rd, 2025

Meet the future of operational readiness — the GHOSTROBOTICS Vision 60.

Rugged. Adaptable. Mission-ready.

Visit us at CANSEC 2025 (28-29 May) in the Millbrook Tactical booth #421, and see how this ground-breaking tech can elevate your edge.

Milrem Robotics to Provide Six THeMIS UGVs to CNIM Systèmes Industriels Intended for Ukraine

Wednesday, May 21st, 2025

Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, will supply the French company CNIM Systèmes Industriels with six THeMIS UGVs, which will be integrated with route clearance systems and delivered to Ukraine.

CNIM Systèmes Industriels will provide Ukraine with six ROCUS (Route Clearance Unmanned Systems). Financed by the French government, ROCUS UGVs will be delivered to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) for rapid ground clearance.

The ROCUS was developed based on the THeMIS platform and includes a route clearance payload developed and adapted by CNIM Systèmes Industriels.

ROCUS UGVs extend the stand-off distance from threats and improve operational effectiveness in high-risk environments. They enable units to remotely inspect, confirm, and neutralise a broad spectrum of explosive threats, thereby ensuring the safety of deminers.

ROCUS’ will help SESU secure civilians’ movement, protect the environment, revive agriculture in the country, and rebuild residential areas.

“We are proud to continue to support Ukraine through the contract with CNIM Systèmes Industriels. THeMIS UGVs have already proven their versatility and reliability in various operational scenarios in Ukraine and elsewhere,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Our continuous partnership with CNIM Systèmes Industriels to provide the ROCUS system demonstrates the strength of European defence cooperation and the commitment to supplying meaningful capabilities to Ukraine.”

The six UGVs will join the first seven ROCUS systems deployed in Ukraine in 2022. In total, 15 unmanned systems from Milrem Robotics have been deployed to Ukraine.

Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS UGV is part of robotics programmes or is in service in 19 countries, making it the most widely used UGV in its size class.

US Army Opens Recruiting for Robotics Warrant Officer MOS

Monday, May 19th, 2025

Last fall, I mentioned a that US Army Special Operations Command was adapting to the evolving face of warfare by creating a new Military Occupational Specialty. In true SOF fashion, they attacked the problem asymmetrically by adapting a career management field they had control over and using authorities to recruit talent into the warrant officer force. Now, it’s open for applications. If you are into emerging warfighting capabilities, this is the job for you. I’m jealous something like this wasn’t available when I was in.

MOS 390A Robotics Technician

The result is MOS 390A Robotics Technician, intended to enable and provide robotic and autonomous system solutions to tactical problems across all warfighting functions and domains during competition, crisis, and combat operations.  The 390A will be assigned to tactical formations at brigade/group-level and above.  This new MOS will be the subject matter expert for planning robotics and autonomous systems operations, integrating those operations into broader plans, engineering and fabricating robotic and autonomous system solutions to tactical problems, managing attritable systems and their kinetic and sensor payloads, and delivering those capabilities and effects in support of Soldiers at the tactical edge.

Eligibility:

a.  The MOS is open to all enlisted, officer, and warrant officer that are currently serving in Special Operations Forces Units. As there is no requirement for SFQC graduation, I hope to see some enablers applying.

i.  Enlisted: Open to all MOS and grades/ranks.

ii.  Warrant Officer: Applicants must be a graduate of the Warrant Officer Candidate School and a Warrant Officer Basic Course.  Must be a Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2) with a minimum of one-year time in grade or Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3) with no more than one-year time in grade.

iii.  Officer: Applicants open to all branches. Officers must be branch qualified.

b.  Must meet Army physical fitness and Army Height / Weight standards.

c.  Must possess a Secret clearance.

d.  Have no derogatory information in their OMPF, a referred NCOER or OER, or pending adverse action.

e.  Must be able to complete a 3-year tour following graduation from WOBC.

Packet Submission Deadline is Friday, 1 August 2025 

For full information, visit recruiting.army.mil/In-Service-Opportunities/US-Army-Warrant-Officer-Recruiting/Do-I-Qualify/WO-MOS-Feeder-List/39A-Robotics-Technician

Red Cat Expands Maritime Domain Capabilities with Battle-Tested Unmanned Surface Vessels

Thursday, May 15th, 2025

Strategic partnership with leading USV company enhances Red Cat’s multi-domain capabilities and capitalizes on rapidly growing global demand for autonomous, kinetic-capable platforms

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 14, 2025 — Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat”), a leading provider of drone technology for military, government, and commercial operations, today announced the expansion of its multi-domain Family of Systems with a new line of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). This strategic move marks Red Cat’s official entry into the rapidly evolving maritime autonomy market and reinforces its position as a provider of comprehensive, interoperable unmanned systems for air, land, and sea operations.

Meeting the Demands of Modern Conflict

Red Cat’s entry into the maritime domain builds on existing inroads, including a partnership with Ocean Power Technologies to integrate its aerial drones with autonomous maritime platforms. Red Cat’s own line of kinetic-capable USVs marks a significant step forward. The decision is a direct response to rising geopolitical tensions and a shift in U.S. defense priorities toward re-asserting American maritime dominance globally. Red Cat is well positioned to deliver American-manufactured solutions that address these urgent operational needs of the U.S. and allied naval forces.

“This is a pivotal moment for Red Cat as we evolve from an aerial-first drone company into a true multi-domain defense provider,” said Jeff Thompson, Red Cat CEO. “This expansion into maritime platforms opens significant opportunities in a fast-growing and urgently needed defense sector. As the U.S. and its allies confront rising maritime threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, there’s a clear demand for powerful, proven, and scalable USVs made in America. With these USVs, we’re helping to shape the future of autonomous warfare and strengthening the foundation of U.S. defense manufacturing.”

Introducing Red Cat’s New Line of USVs

Red Cat is bringing its line of USVs to market in partnership with a leading global manufacturer of USVs. The system is tested daily in actual combat and designed to operate either autonomously or in manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) configurations. The technology already has 10,000+ hours of operating time in live combat missions. Moving into production will accelerate Red Cat’s roadmap for USVs that integrate seamlessly with its existing family of ISR and unmanned aerial systems, supporting multi-domain and swarming operations.

“This system has been used day in and day out in the current conflict, accumulating tens of thousands of hours in real combat operations and achieving dozens of successful kinetic engagements against enemy assets, more than any navy since World War II,” Thompson stated. “By partnering with a company that has extensive proven experience and is well beyond the proof-of-concept stage, we gain a substantial competitive advantage as we enter this market.”

Red Cat is preparing to start production in Q3 of a seven-meter Expeditionary Multi-Role Craft developed to meet the demands of high-speed, long-range, kinetic maritime operations. It is built for larger payloads, extended endurance, and increased firepower. The version has enhanced range, payload capacity, and mission flexibility making it ideal for deep-strike missions, anti-ship warfare, and coastal interdiction in contested zones.

Leaders in Ship Building and Marine Innovation

Red Cat has assembled an elite team of master boatbuilders, drawing from industry leaders with centuries of collective experience. Renowned for pioneering advanced jet propulsion systems and crafting superior, American-made hulls, our team brings unmatched expertise to every vessel. Boatbuilding at scale demands profound knowledge and precision—qualities our proven professionals deliver with decades of hands-on experience, ensuring excellence in every detail.

For more information about Red Cat’s mission and its line of Unmanned Surface Vessels visit www.redcat.red/USV.