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American Rheinmetall Awarded US Army Contract for Autonomous Supply Ground Vehicles
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American Rheinmetall has been awarded an 18-month U.S. Army contract to develop hybrid-powered autonomous ground vehicles for transporting supplies in contested environments. The project, executed through the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, falls under the Army's Project Sustainment initiative. American Rheinmetall will serve as prime contractor, partnering with Harbinger, Forterra, and Primordial Labs.
The uncrewed vehicles are designed to support logistics for company-sized Army units, moving equipment and supplies to and from forward positions with limited human involvement. This approach reduces the need to expose soldiers to dangerous transport missions. The contract also includes potential follow-on orders as the Army expands its autonomous logistics fleet.
Harbinger will provide a dual-use hybrid chassis built for commercial and specialty vehicles, which can be adapted for military requirements. Rheinmetall noted that leveraging commercial vehicle technology aims to improve affordability, speed production, and simplify future updates. Forterra will supply autonomous-driving technology capable of operating in environments with limited communications, navigation, or human oversight.
A central feature is Primordial Labs' Anura, a natural-language interface enabling soldiers to control the vehicles through spoken commands. The system translates commander instructions into vehicle actions, reducing reliance on traditional control equipment. Officials say this could cut training time, ease operator mental burden, and allow one soldier to oversee multiple robotic systems.
The project aligns with the Army's modernization strategy by combining autonomous operation, hybrid power, and commercially derived technology. Development and testing will occur at U.S. facilities and test ranges. American Rheinmetall operates facilities in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, and Virginia, adding this program to its growing portfolio of uncrewed ground systems.
By reducing the number of soldiers needed for routine supply movements, the vehicles free personnel for other tasks while improving operational reach. The voice-controlled interface represents a shift toward treating autonomous machines as team members rather than remote-controlled equipment. As the Army continues exploring autonomous logistics, this project could shape future procurement decisions.
