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TECOM Establishes Marine Corps Robotics Integration Group and Counter Drone Team

Friday, July 10th, 2026

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.— The Marine Corps has established theMarine Corps Robotics Integration Groupas its service-level organization responsible for integrating, standardizing, and institutionalizing training for Group 1 and Group 2 small unmanned aircraft systems and counter-small unmanned aircraft systems across the Total Force, as announced inMARADMIN 307/26.

Assigned under Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, MCRIG serves as the Marine Corps’ focal point for unmanned systems training integration, curriculum development, and education. The organization ensures emerging drone capabilities are transformed into standardized programs of instruction, instructor certifications, and enduring training products that can be delivered consistently throughout the Marine Corps.

“The battlefield continues to demonstrate that small unmanned aircraft systems are no longer niche capabilities; they are indispensable tools for reconnaissance, precision strike, force protection and survivability,” said Maj. Gen. Mark H. Clingan, commanding general, MAGTFTC, MCAGCC. “The Marine Corps Robotics Integration Group provides the institutional framework necessary to rapidly integrate validated capabilities into standardized training, ensuring Marines across the Total Force are prepared to employ and defeat these systems in future conflicts.”

The establishment of MCRIG reflects the Marine Corps’ continued effort to adapt to the rapidly evolving character of warfare, where inexpensive, commercially available unmanned aircraft have fundamentally changed how modern militaries detect, target, maneuver, and fight. MCRIG also establishes a deliberate process for transitioning emerging capabilities into formal Marine Corps training.

As the service-level integrator, MCRIG receives validated capability packages, including tactics, techniques and procedures, pilot courses and training requirements, from specialized organizations responsible for experimentation and operational assessment. Once validated, MCRIG develops curriculum, training support packages, and certification standards before distributing them through designated regional hubs that execute standardized instruction across the Fleet Marine Force.

Central to this process are two complementary organizations: the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team and the newly established Marine Corps Counter Drone Team.

“The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team and the Marine Corps Counter Drone Team are designed to move at the speed of technology. Through the analysis of exercises, operations, and purposely designed events we gain critical information about how systems should be employed or defeated,” said Col. Charles Anklam III, commanding officer, Weapons Training Battalion. “Our responsibility is to rigorously test ideas, validate capabilities, and rapidly transition those findings to MCRIG, where they become standardized training that benefits every Marine. This partnership allows us to remain agile to the constantly changing threat, innovate quickly, and provide the fleet with consistently reliable, credible, and operationally relevant information to increase lethality and survivability.”

The Marine Corps established MCCDT to accelerate counter-drone training development in the same way MCADT has supported and advanced attack drone capability development, experimentation, research, testing, and evaluation. Together, the two organizations provide Training Command a focused capability to study both sides of the unmanned systems fight: employment and defeat.

As an organic element of Weapons Training Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, MCCDT serves as Training Command’s dedicated counter-drone training development cell. Not designed to deploy as an operational force provider, MCCDT’s role is to identify the threat, test emerging solutions, validate practical tactics, and transition those findings to MCRIG for service-wide implementation.

MCCDT integrates lessons from MCWL, MAGTFTC, MCRIG, government partners, industry, and the Fleet Marine Force to ensure counter-drone tactics and training remain operationally relevant. This approach allows the Marine Corps to rapidly assess emerging threats, evaluate available technologies, and convert battlefield lessons into practical training requirements.

Using established Marine Corps guidance and approved training standards as its baseline, MCCDT conducts operational assessments and force-on-force evaluations to refine C-sUAS best practices. Once validated, those recommendations are provided to MCRIG for incorporation into institutional doctrine, curriculum, instructor certifications, and standardized training products.

This relationship creates a disciplined innovation pathway. MCADT and MCCDT move quickly to support the experimentation, assessment, and validation of tactics against emerging unmanned systems challenges, while MCRIG ensures those lessons become consistent, repeatable, and enduring training across the Marine Corps.

Together, these organizations create a continuous cycle of innovation and institutional learning, rapidly identifying and validating lessons through operational assessment, and incorporating them into formal Marine Corps training.

Designated TECOM regional hubs will execute MCRIG-approved courses throughout the Marine Corps, providing geographically distributed training while also returning operational observations and lessons learned to support continuous improvement of curriculum and tactics. The integrated training enterprise provides the Marine Corps with a sustainable framework capable of rapidly adapting as unmanned technologies evolve, ensuring Marines receive standardized, current, and operationally relevant instruction regardless of where they train.

The Marine Corps is also seeking motivated, technically proficient, and innovative Marines to help build this emerging capability. Marines interested in serving in select C-sUAS billets within MCRIG are encouraged to review MARADMIN 307/26 for eligibility requirements and application procedures.

The establishment of MCRIG and MCCDT represents another significant milestone in the Marine Corps’ broader modernization efforts, ensuring Marines remain prepared to employ and counter rapidly evolving unmanned systems while preserving the agility, lethality, and survivability required on tomorrow’s battlefield.

Story by Maj Hector Infante

U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command

Posted in Admin, C-UAS, Drone, Guest Post, Profession of Arms, Robotics, USMC, UxS | No Comments »

US Army Selects Four Contractors for Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability to Automate Battlefield Breaching Operations

Friday, July 10th, 2026

DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – The Capability Program Executive Mission Autonomy announced today the selection of four companies for the Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability (EABC) initiative, a key effort to modernize engineer support for Soldiers on the battlefield.

This project will develop and prototype autonomous systems capable of rapidly breaching complex obstacles and minefields under direct observation and fire, minimizing personnel exposure and ensuring the safe passage of follow-on forces. The selected contractors will provide advanced robotic systems designed for beyond-line-of-sight autonomous control, directly enhancing the Army’s ability to conduct multi-domain operations.

The four selected companies – Caterpillar (Irving, Texas), Forterra (Clarksburg, Md.), IDV USA (York, Pa.) and Overland AI (Seattle) — were chosen for their innovative approaches to autonomous breaching. Their proposed technologies range from autonomous commercial equipment to purpose-built robotic platforms, both featuring modular payloads to support varied breaching requirements.

Formal contract awards for the EABC initiative are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Once awarded, the project will advance into a series of demonstrations and assessments, culminating in a Transformation in Contact unit assessment in early 2027. This rotation will allow the Army to collect direct, unit-level feedback to inform the production decision for the next generation of autonomous engineer systems.

By Ashley John

Posted in Army, Breaching, Contracts, Guest Post, Robotics | Comments Off on US Army Selects Four Contractors for Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability to Automate Battlefield Breaching Operations

Milrem Robotics and Hanwha Systems Explore Integration of Advanced Sensors and Effectors on Autonomous Ground Vehicles

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026

Milrem Robotics and Hanwha Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Eurosatory 2026 to explore the integration of advanced sensing, electronic warfare, and weapon integration solutions onto autonomous ground vehicles, addressing the growing demand for unmanned force protection and area security capabilities.

The companies will assess opportunities to integrate Hanwha Systems’ payload technologies with Milrem Robotics’ autonomous ground vehicle platforms to support a wide range of mission requirements and customer needs.

Potential payloads under evaluation include electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems, radar, electronic warfare and jamming capabilities, laser systems, and weapon integration solutions.

“The combination of advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems and autonomous ground platforms creates new opportunities for protecting military forces and critical infrastructure. Through this cooperation with Milrem Robotics, we aim to explore integrated capabilities that address evolving operational requirements,” said Peter BAE, Senior Vice President, Hanwha Systems.

“Military forces are looking for versatile unmanned solutions that can rapidly adapt to evolving mission requirements,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Combining Hanwha Systems’ advanced payload technologies with Milrem Robotics’ autonomous ground platforms creates opportunities to develop highly capable unmanned systems that enhance operational effectiveness while keeping personnel out of harm’s way.”

Posted in Industry, International, Press Release, Robotics | No Comments »

Army Researchers Modernize Breaching for Ground Platforms Through AI-Enabled Explosive Hazard Detection

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (June 4, 2026) — To defeat adversaries’ explosive hazards on today’s battlefield, U.S. Army researchers are integrating the latest advances in artificial intelligence to deliver greater lethality and survivability to Soldiers.

With Soldiers facing increasingly sophisticated and complex threats, Army scientists and engineers are developing capabilities to enable persistent ground situational awareness for maximum force protection. The Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center leads the Ground-based Multi-Mission Payload project.

Breaching minefields has historically been one of the most dangerous tasks for troops. By automating the monotonous and fatiguing task of manual threat scanning, Soldiers can focus their attention on the broader tactical environment while easing the cognitive load. While unmanned aerial systems can cover wide areas, ground systems remain essential to detect threats aerial assets can’t see.

“Our S&T and technical expertise across core competencies including advanced sensing, intelligence, and command and control are delivering critical advantages for our Soldiers — situational awareness, enhanced operational speed, and safety,” said C5ISR Center Director Beth Ferry.

The GMMP proof-of-concept prototype includes a suite of hardware and AI-enabled software with advanced sensors, which have been outfitted onto a variety of ground vehicles and robotic platforms: a specially equipped military vehicle; a robot dog; and a Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport, an unmanned, eight-wheeled heavy-duty robotic platform with instruments to complete multiple threat removal and complex mission sets, according to C5ISR Center physicist Kendall Johnson, the project’s technical lead.

An AI model detects, classifies, and reports explosive threats in real-time, integrating seamlessly into the Tactical Assault Kit ecosystem that populates a common operating picture for the entire team, both inside the vehicles and in the command post. Soldiers can identify hazards from a safe standoff distance, turning hours of manual scanning into a millisecond-fast automated process.

“The system incorporates a government-developed and -owned open AI architecture built by Army subject-matter experts,” Johnson said of the project’s plans for multi-algorithm support. “The Army can add the best algorithms from any source, at any time. The concept remains relevant into the future with the ability to incorporate new technologies as they emerge.”

C5ISR Center Countermine Ground to Ground Portfolio lead Dr. Amin Abbasi Baghbadorani said another project goal is transitioning from current counter-explosive systems that are often built with proprietary software and hardware while limited to a single purpose.

“GMMP is based on a modular concept to integrate commercial off-the-shelf hardware,” Abbasi Baghbadorani said. “Its open architecture is designed for rapid adaptation to new vehicles, sensors, and AI algorithms. The capabilities can be used with any platform and are easy to transition.”

Working with noncommissioned officers assigned to the Center is critical to providing Soldiers with the best tools for lethality and survivability, Johnson said.

“Feedback from NCOs has been incredible as we get feedback on-site,” Johnson said. “We’re able to make changes the same day and update the systems. It’s optimized the speed and pace of our project.”

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Havens, a C5ISR Center enlisted adviser, is working with the project’s scientists and engineers to bring his operational expertise as a network communication systems specialist into the technology development cycle.

“There’s an instant feedback loop,” Havens said. “What we do as enlisted Soldiers for C5ISR Center is they will give us their technology, show us how operate it, and run us through scenarios. We’ll tell them how to design the system to make it easier to use, more functional. Situational awareness is key. The more you have SA of the battlefield, the more you can devise a plan to execute, navigate, and negotiate.”

The GMMP team’s next steps are to mature the prototype into a cross-platform demonstrator with activities planned in additional climates and locations in the near future. It’s imperative the system performs across the wide range of conditions Soldiers face — extreme temperatures and humidity, sand, dust, foliage, snow, ice, and varying grass and soil types.

“The focus is adapting the system to more complex environments to prove its end-to-end capability,” Abbasi Baghbadorani said.

By Dan Lafontaine, DEVCOM C5ISR Center Public Affairs

Posted in AI / ML, Army, Breaching, Guest Post, Robotics | Comments Off on Army Researchers Modernize Breaching for Ground Platforms Through AI-Enabled Explosive Hazard Detection

Closing Completed: Rheinmetall Acquires Majority Stake in DOK-ING – Strategic Acquisition in the Field of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026

The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall has successfully completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Croatia-based DOK-ING and is thus expanding its portfolio as planned through an acquisition in the field of unmanned vehicles. The company will operate under the name “Rheinmetall Unmanned Vehicles d.o.o.”. In March this year, Rheinmetall signed an agreement in Zagreb to acquire a majority stake in Croatian innovation hub specialized in the field of unmanned vehicles DOK-ING. Rheinmetall is acquiring 51 per cent of the company, while the company’s founder and previous sole owner, Vjekoslav Majeti?, will retain the 49 per cent. The strategic partners agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Combining Rheinmetall’s expertise in tactical vehicles with DOK-ING’s capabilities in unmanned vehicles creates a strong base of competence with considerable future potential. These joint activities are based on DOK-ING’s newly developed Komodo, a modular heavy-duty hybrid platform with a payload capacity of more than 8.5 tonnes. Rheinmetall is contributing various functional modules and equipment kits, including systems for direct and indirect fire, mine clearing and laying operations, reconnaissance sensors and logistics. By joining forces, the two leading European suppliers aim to realise ambitious projects, set new standards and pave the way for unmanned ground systems to be ready for series production and deployment.

“We can now establish our competence centre in Croatia in the field of unmanned and autonomous vehicles for military purposes. With this new setup, we aim to achieve a strong market position in the segment of unmanned combat and armoured support vehicles. We see growth potential in this future market, and, at the same time, we are establishing a foothold in Croatia, an EU and NATO partner country and a highly attractive customer market”, Dr Björn Bernhard, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Europe division, reiterated upon receiving regulatory approval.

DOK-ING holds a strong market position in the field of land based unmanned mine clearance and operations in high-risk environments. Since its foundation, the company has delivered around 500 platforms to customers in over 40 countries. At present, DOK-ING’s mine-clearance solutions are proving to be highly effective in operation, particularly in the Ukraine.

Vjekoslav Majeti?, who founded DOK-ING in 1991, referred to his words when the agreement was signed in March: “This step ensures that DOK-ING’s development, engineering excellence and core competencies will remain in Croatia. By joining forces with Rheinmetall, we can expand our production capacities, accelerate the development of next-generation unmanned specialised systems and strengthen our long-term competitiveness. This will reinforce Croatia’s role within the European defence and technology landscape”.

DOK-ING and Rheinmetall plan to develop a variety of solutions for combat and combat support operations. This includes a project for an unmanned armed support system (known as ‘Wingman’) to be used with battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for reconnaissance and fire support purposes. These systems will also be used alongside existing Rheinmetall products, such as the Panther KF51 Main Battle Tank, the Büffel/Buffalo recovery tank, and the Kodiak armoured engineer vehicle.

Rheinmetall AG is an integrated technology group, with its headquarters in Düsseldorf. Founded in 1889, it is a leading international systems house for the defence industry and operates within land, air, sea and space domains. A focus on sustainability is an integral part of Rheinmetall’s strategy. With around 44,000 employees at about 180 sites worldwide, the company has been listed on the DAX 40 since March 2023 and generated sales of €9.8 billion in the 2024 financial year.

DOK-ING is a technology-driven company specialised in the development and manufacture of advanced unmanned systems designed for operations in hazardous and high-risk environments. Its core portfolio includes remotely operated and progressively autonomous platforms supporting humanitarian and military demining, military engineering operations, CBRN response, and the protection of critical infrastructure. The company’s solutions are based on modular and scalable architectures, enabling rapid mission-specific configuration for mine clearance, IED disposal, route clearance, firefighting, and other complex operational requirements. With a strong commitment to safety, reliability, and operational excellence, DOK-ING delivers field-proven systems that enhance force protection and reduce human exposure to hazardous situations, serving armed forces, civil protection authorities, and specialised security operators worldwide.

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Envision Technology – PROTEUS

Wednesday, June 24th, 2026

In what may be the coolest thing I saw at SOF Week, Envision Technology made the public debut of their PROTEUS.

Portable Reconfigurable Observation And Targeting Expeditionary Uncrewed System or PROTEUS for short was designed in response to USSOCOM’s drone-in-a-box requirement which envisioned a multi-mode drone system, rapidly transitioning from air to ground use.

Ultimately, PROTEUS DK40 was selected as a system for the US Army’s PBAS (Purpose-Built Attritable Systems) program. As you can see, it comes in a single deployment case, ready for use.

Relying on Modular Open Systems
Architecture (MOSA), PROTEUS is mission configurable in under 30 seconds to quadcopter, hexacopter, octocopter, or crawler configurations thanks to its snap-on modular arms, wheels, radios, FPV systems, and accessories.

As fielded PROTEUS can be configured as a 5″ or 7″ done or as a crawler. However, Envision also provdes 3D interface files allowing units and developers to design custom mounts, payload integrations, and mission-specific accessories.

What I like about PROTEUS is that it is available now and offers the ability to configure the system as needed for the mission ahead. I know I’m going to date myself here but this is a modern day Erector set for Soldiers, but more plug and play. I’m always amazed at what troops will do with something like this. They will come up with ideas the designers never thought of.

As it has one foot in air and the other in ground robotics, the services can use it as a means to envision what future multi-mode unmanned systems (UXS) may look like and how imperative it is that they share commonalities such as power, comms, command and control, and end effector interfaces.

This will become even more evident as we begin to use larger UXS to serve as motherships to smaller systems.

www.envision-tek.com/unmanned-modular-systems

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Darley Releases New Uncrewed Systems Capabilities & Partner Brochure for Defense and Public Safety Missions

Monday, June 22nd, 2026

ITASCA, IL – June 17th, 2026 – Darley, a leading provider of defense, fire, and emergency services equipment, is proud to announce the release of its new Uncrewed Systems Capabilities & Partners Brochure. Accessible online at www.darley.com/what-we-provide/uncrewed-systems, the brochure provides a comprehensive overview of Darley’s expanding uncrewed and autonomous solutions including platforms, partners, and system-level integration options designed to support evolving operational needs across defense, public safety, and emergency response environments.

This brochure showcases Darley’s integrated approach to uncrewed technologies, highlighting platforms, components, and support solutions that enhance operational effectiveness across air, land, and maritime domains. Built as a practical resource for partners and end users, the brochure simplifies access to key capability information while reinforcing Darley’s commitment to mission-ready innovation.

“Uncrewed systems are playing an increasingly critical role in modern defense and public safety operations,” said Audrey Darley, Vice President of Defense Supply Chain. “This brochure reflects Darley’s focus on delivering reliable, adaptable solutions that support our customers’ missions today and into the future. It brings together our capabilities in a clear, accessible format designed for both the defense and first responder communities.”

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Quantum Systems and Tencore to Co-Produce 2,000 TerMIT UGVs in Germany

Saturday, June 20th, 2026

Quantum Tencore Industries (QTI), the second German-Ukrainian joint venture under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative after Quantum Frontline Industries, focuses on the industrial-scale production of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in Germany for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With an initial order for 2,000 systems, QTI will deliver the largest global UGV procurement to date.

Munich, Germany | Kyiv, Ukraine – 19 June 2026:Quantum Tencore Industries (QTI) was selected for the delivery of 2,000 TerMIT unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the next 12 months. The joint venture QTI is the second German-Ukrainian joint venture between Quantum Systems and leading Ukrainian UGV manufacturer Tencore under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative and will manufacture the Ukrainian-designed systems in Germany.

Funded by the German Ministry of Defence, the programme will provide the first contract for QTI and enable the immediate ramp-up of manufacturing activities in Germany. Production will be carried out in cooperation with an established industrial partner, allowing rapid integration into existing manufacturing infrastructure while strengthening industrial capacity and supporting skilled employment in Germany.

The programme builds on Quantum Systems’ long-standing presence in Ukraine and follows the co-production model established through Quantum Frontline Industries under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative. It represents one of the largest known procurements of unmanned ground vehicles in Europe to date and reflects the growing operational importance of ground robotics in modern military operations.

Hendrik Kramer, Managing Director of Quantum Tencore Industries, said: “Over the past 12 months, UGVs have fundamentally changed battlefield operations in Ukraine, from logistics and casualty evacuation to frontline combat missions. By combining battle-proven Ukrainian ground systems with German industrial scale, QTI is contributing to build strategic capacity in one of the most important emerging capabilities of modern warfare.”

Maksym Vasylchenko, Co-Founder and CEO of Tencore, added: “Ukrainian engineers have developed highly effective ground robotic systems under real operational conditions. With Quantum Systems, we now have the industrial partner to scale these systems in Germany, expand production, and ensure reliable delivery to Ukrainian forces.”

TerMIT is a modular, frontline-proven, multi-role tracked unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). It is designed to execute a wide range of ground missions, including logistics, field support, evacuation, and engineering tasks. Since 2023, TerMIT has proven itself in thousands of missions in Ukraine. It is designed as a software-defined ground system, enabling continuous capability growth through software rather than hardware changes.

Fully integrated into Quantum Systems’ MOSAIC UXS platform, the UGV benefits from ongoing development cycles that introduce new functions, optimizations, and integrations over time. This program represents the largest known UGV procurement efforts in Europe to date and reflects the increasing operational role of unmanned ground systems in modern military operations.

QTI combines Ukrainian battlefield innovation with German industrial scale, creating a manufacturing and delivery model capable of bringing proven ground robotic systems into production at the pace and volume required by modern defence forces.

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