Driverless systems are ready for the next gear

Marines and Soldiers operating manned missile batteries are vulnerable to counter-battery fire once they fire their systems, which are highly visible to enemy sensors. Autonomous, driverless systems can counter this threat, which is multidimensional.

For example, an enemy warship with advanced sensors can quickly identify the threat track of an anti-ship ballistic missile and return fire. Or it can be as simple as a first-person-view quadcopter transmitting the position of a missile battery back to an adversary for counter fire.

“Counter-battery fire is a real problem,” said Scott Sanders, former Marine Special Operations Officer and chief growth officer for Forterra. “I would not want to be next to anything that fires a weapon system in modern combat like a HIMARS battery or anti-ship missile.

“If you don’t move fast enough and end up taking counter-battery fire from a ship, you’ve lost not only millions of dollars in hardware but the Marines who are in it and who will be much harder to replace than hardware. It would be huge to get humans away from those vehicles and platforms.”

In those very real scenarios, what’s needed are mobile launch systems that can fire and actually be on-the-move even before a Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) missile, for example, strikes its target.

Field-based artillery teams operating those systems are already trained like NASCAR pit crews. However, our adversaries’ advanced capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum still make them vulnerable and targets before they can get away.

The solution is bringing autonomy to those platforms so they can maneuver and fire faster than any crewed system could, while keeping operators safe at standoff distances. Sanders said it simply: “Robots can displace faster and there is less risk to force if they are hit by enemy fire.”

In addition to the life-saving impact of standoff capability, autonomous systems address multiple use cases related to: counterterrorism and counterinsurgency; search and rescue; route clearance; logistics and supply; explosives ordnance disposal; surveillance and reconnaissance; urban warfare; critical infrastructure and base protection; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) threats; anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments; and border security.

The use cases for autonomy also extend to all systems that emit electronic signatures like radar and other sensors that can be detected. There’s a reason the AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) is stockpiled by the U.S. Marines, Navy, and Air Force, as well as more than a dozen countries around the world.

Any active radar system is easy to find on the battlefield because they stand out in the electromagnetic spectrum, so you’re inducing a lot of risk every time one lights up. Driverless, robotic ground systems counter counter-fires by letting the USMC and others project more firepower and sensing capability forward without risking Marines or Soldiers.

Presently, Forterra is executing the first successful deployment of self-driving systems for the Marine Corps’ Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary (ROGUE) Fires under the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System program (NMESIS). Built on an unmanned ground vehicle platform, ROGUE Fires abets ground-based anti-ship missile operations.

Autonomy for USMC and Army platforms

The Marine Corps and Army have recognized the value of developing robotic programs and injecting autonomy into legacy platforms for the reasons discussed.

“The potential benefits of autonomous/robotic platforms to the Army may prove to be advantageous to all warfighting functions’ mission sets,” states the Army Futures Command Concept for Fires 2028. “These technologies may decrease cost, improve effectiveness, allow the Army to operate dispersed over larger areas, and importantly help keep Soldiers out of harm’s way. They may prove useful for providing logistical support (such as, fuel delivery, and missile or artillery resupply capabilities) enhanced common man-machine interfaces, improved targeting, and ability to process mega-data.”

There’s a large community out there that says they can solve some of those challenges in ground autonomy, but few other than Forterra can say they’ve brought reliability, predictability, trustworthiness, and a proven ability to scale autonomy solutions over two decades.

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement and it was among the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology that focused on building systems that protect front-line troops and enable civilian workers in the industrial base. Today the company is one of the main providers of autonomy systems to all of the DoD’s ground autonomy programs.

In September Forterra announced its $75 million Series B fundraising that will enable the company to accelerate and scale the deployment of their autonomous driving system (ADS) called AutoDrive with defense and industrial customers. Forterra’s two decades of experience in the industry, combined with recent venture-capital, positions the company to more rapidly conduct research and development, iteration, and testing needed to quickly field autonomous systems.

“I’m confident to say that we have integrated on more defense vehicles than any other company on the planet over the last 20 years,” said Zach LaCelle, head of product for Forterra. “As a result, we are intimately familiar with the pitfalls and challenges of everything from base vehicle to sensor integration and mounting, what radios to use, the power-conditioning requirements, the brake systems needed – every capability a vehicle needs to enable autonomy.”

Commonality across program offices

The robotic programs discussed enable the DoD to grow logistics capabilities, surveillance and reconnaissance, and firepower without adding personnel to combat units or putting them in harm’s way. There are differences between the programs, however, in so far as each has their own requirements, acquisition strategy, and pathways.

Due to the fact that these initiatives also report up to different program offices such as Army PEO Soldier, PEO Combat Support & Combat Service Support, Marine Corps Systems Command, and others, there’s overlap in the capability sets, whether that’s on a robotic combat vehicle or a PLS truck.

That raises the question: what synergies, acquisition efficiencies, cost savings, requirements definition, technology sharing, and overall effectiveness can be wrought by coordinating autonomy programs between offices and services – especially when the programs often employ the same autonomy technologies, have many of the same goals and outcomes, and have mutual interests in seeing autonomous ground vehicles programs become successful.

“We’re in a unique position to work across all of those programs and know the answers to those questions after decades of doing autonomy, so we could certainly shed light on this,” said LaCelle. “We use that knowledge to communicate with both our defense and OEM partners.”

Autonomy that works

Autonomous systems in the ground domain are ready to be fielded today and will have an immediate impact on the lives of Marines and Soldiers. Autonomy is complex and unique with dual-use applications that the military can leverage to save development costs and get capabilities fielded faster. Forterra is on the forefront of thinking about not just how autonomy is going to protect troops, but how it’s going to be applicable across multiple different warfighting domains.

“The most important part about this is that it’s not a science project,” said Sanders. “This technology works well and reliably, and we’ve spent 20 years making it functional and scalable.”

Forterra has developed mission-relevant ways to demonstrate robotic systems by developing the tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as the Concepts of Operation, around how they can be most effective in accomplishing tasks without risking the lives of servicemembers.

Forterra’s autonomy platform is part of military operations today safely conducting reconnaissance, troop supply missions, and related tasks during ground warfare to keep Marines and Soldiers safe. Forterra has shipped more than 100 vehicles that have operated a cumulative 400,000 miles. Its technology is currently operating in U.S. military programs and have operated in over 10 countries in both defense and commercial applications.