The U.S. Army is set to receive a major technological upgrade as defense giant BAE Systems and autonomous specialist Forterra announce a partnership to develop a self-driving version of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV). This initiative marks a significant step in modernizing the military’s ground fleet, with prototype testing targeted for 2026. The collaboration is BAE’s inaugural external partnership for its modular “capability kits” initiative, designed to rapidly adapt vehicles to new battlefield challenges.
At the core of this project is Forterra’s AutoDrive technology, a comprehensive system that fuses hardware and software to grant military vehicles full autonomous functionality. This will allow the AMPV to navigate without a driver, conduct coordinated missions with other robotic vehicles, and perform point-to-point travel. The technology’s design for integration across various platforms means it can also be applied to the Army’s Bradley vehicles and Paladin artillery systems.
The AMPV platform, built to replace the decades-old M113 armored personnel carriers, forms the foundation for this autonomous prototype. It is a multi-role vehicle that comes in five critical variants, from general purpose to medical treatment. Protected by all-welded aluminum armor and propelled by a robust 600-horsepower Cummins diesel engine, the AMPV combines survivability with mobility, achieving ranges of over 224 miles.
This advanced development is underpinned by a steady stream of production orders from the Pentagon. The most recent, an August 2025 contract worth $139.5 million, extends the manufacturing of these vehicles. Preceded by a $184-million contract in late 2024, these awards have pushed the total program value to over $2.28 billion, with production ongoing in York, Pennsylvania, through 2028.
