US Army to bolster its obstacle breaching capability with autonomous vehicles

Overland AI delivering breaching capability as a core battlefield function.Overland AIA Seattle-based company is set to boost autonomous operations in the U.S. Army. Overland AI, the leader in ground-based autonomous capabilities, has been selected by the U.S. Army’s Capability Program Executive (CPE) Mission Autonomy for the Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability (EABC) initiative.This $20 million contract signifies a broader shift from proving that autonomy works to delivering an operational breaching package that soldiers can employ. Breaching mission can be executed most effectively with truly autonomous vehicles “A breaching mission can be executed most effectively with truly autonomous vehicles,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and chief executive officer of Overland AI. “Our proprietary software stack is the best solution for ensuring the safety of soldiers by modernizing the battlefield.”The company revealed that its Overland AI’s software stack, OverDrive, can be integrated onto any ground vehicles to make them autonomous and enable multi-robot coordination. This technology is being leveraged for complex military operations such as breaching to overcome obstacles and facilitate the safe passage of follow-on forces. With one operator to many robotic platforms, the company’s autonomous systems are designed to reduce the number of combat engineers needed to complete a breach. In doing so, we can reduce unnecessary risk to soldiers during these exceptionally hazardous missions. For operations that have historically cost many American lives, this shift has meaningful implications, according to a press release. Autonomous mission capabilities, spanning software stacks, hardware platforms CPE Mission Autonomy was established to accelerate Army acquisition of autonomous mission capabilities, spanning software stacks, hardware platforms, and modular payloads. Along with its partners and subcontractors, Overland AI is delivering the full capability, from operator to battlefield effect. Overland AI was selected for its innovative approach to autonomous breaching, honed through extensive work with warfighters across multiple combat engineer units and Department of War research labs, and more than 25 government demonstrations for DARPA, DIU, and the U.S. Army. The EABC program is designed to deliver a cohesive autonomous breaching package, and Overland AI is honored to bring this next generation capability to warfighters, as per the release. Breaching is a critical combat-engineering function. Forces may need to create passages through obstacles so that troops, vehicles and other equipment can continue advancing. Traditionally, combat engineers must operate in highly exposed environments while identifying and overcoming these obstacles. The EABC initiative seeks to change that equation by introducing autonomous systems into the process. The objective is not simply to put a vehicle under remote control. Instead, the Army is pursuing a broader autonomous capability that combines vehicles, software, sensors, control systems and mission-specific equipment into a coordinated package. That distinction is important as military organizations increasingly look at autonomy as a way to reduce human exposure to battlefield hazards. The company says its approach has been developed through work with combat engineers, military research organizations and government programs. Overland AI also says it has conducted more than 25 government demonstrations involving organizations including DARPA, the Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Army. This operational experience appears to have been an important factor in the company’s selection. The Overland AI contract comes as the U.S. military is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems across multiple domains. The Army has increasingly emphasized systems capable of operating with greater independence, while recent programs have explored autonomous intelligence, sensing, targeting, logistics and maneuver. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.