According to TechCrunch AI's report, the most telling detail is that these valuable UGVs are still mainly teleoperated, not truly autonomous, in combat zones. This underscores a core challenge for military AI: navigating the messy, unpredictable 'last mile' of warfare where algorithms falter. The real strategic race isn't just about deploying hardware, but about who can first close the perception-and-reaction gap to create systems that can operate independently under fire.
Forterra's lessons in electronic warfare and remote updates are valuable, but the ultimate prize—a vehicle that can identify and evade threats on its own—remains elusive, suggesting the industry's most significant hurdles are still ahead.