SEATTLE, Wash.– SEATTLE, Wa - From Ukraine to the Middle East, drones and other unmanned systems are playing an increasingly visible role in modern warfare.
Nations are quickly competing to integrate AI tech into everyday military operations to eliminate human risk while improving overall efficiency in the field. One example of that development is based in Seattle, Washington. Late June, defense-tech company Overland AI announced it had secured a roughly $20 million dollar production contract with the U.S.Marine Corps for autonomous unmanned ground vehicles, or AUGVs, with delivery expected in early 2027. AMERICA AND CHINA ARE FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE OF AI - CHIPS ARE THE BATTLEFIELD"This is a vote of confidence from the Marines that the technology that we have is ready for the mission," said Greg Okopal, Co-Founder and COO of Overland AI. The Marine Corps tells FOX the goal is to use the vehicles for missions such as moving ammunition and supplies while reducing risk to Marines.An Overland AI autonomous ground vehicle navigates rugged, off-road terrain during a demonstration in Washington state.
(Sarah Alegre)The award came through APFIT, the Pentagon’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program, using a production Other Transaction Agreement, or OTA.APFIT was started in fiscal year 2022 to help move proven technologies into military use faster.
The program is designed to speed up production and shorten the procurement process, essentially helping cut through some of the red tape.The tech is being developed to support the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, designed initially to focus on autonomous logistics, including ammunition resupply, in contested environments.Okopal says Overland’s work falls under the Marine Corps’ ground-based air defense program, "...which is really sort of a disparate array of vehicle-mounted sensors and effectors that can protect from various UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) and o...