A new push to develop next-gen autonomous military vehicles is underway as Kodiak AI partners with General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS).
Under the collaboration, Kodiak AI will provide its Kodiak Driver, an AI-powered autonomous virtual driver system, while GDLS will oversee vehicle integration, power systems, communications, and overall platform development.
The companies aim to build a scalable autonomy capability that can be adapted across multiple military vehicles and mission sets.
They are also positioning the effort for future US Army and international programs as they look to grow their joint autonomous vehicle portfolio.
“This collaboration directly meets the US military’s need for scalable, adaptable, and cost-effective autonomous ground vehicles operating forward in contested environments while reducing risk to service members,” said Don Burnette, chief executive officer of Kodiak.
“General Dynamics Land Systems’ expertise in defense ground vehicle development and integration is world-class and makes it an ideal partner to deploy Kodiak’s AI-powered autonomy system across a wide range of platforms.”
Expanding the Joint Work
The collaboration builds on the two companies’ earlier joint project, the Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle, developed alongside US tech firm Epirus.
Like the new effort, the ground vehicle combines Kodiak’s autonomy kit with a commercial Ford F-600 chassis and Epirus’ Leonidas microwave weapon to create a mobile counter-drone platform.
It is intended to give military forces a flexible weapon system capable of remote or autonomous operation while extending coverage across fixed-site and expeditionary missions.
According to Keith Barclay, vice president and general manager of US operations at GDLS, Kodiak’s autonomous solution complements the company’s ability to rapidly deliver mission-ready vehicles to soldiers worldwide.
“Together, we are focused on giving our customers the power to win by collaborating on flexible, commercially inspired platforms that can be rapidly adapted,” he stated.
