Ground Autonomy for Tactical Logistics
Scott Sanders, Chief Growth Officer at Forterra, on autonomy for every vehicle
The real bet is that land autonomy becomes the missing layer between sensors in the sky and military outcomes on the ground. Forterra is building around the simple fact that drones can spot targets and ships can move supplies, but units still need vehicles to haul ammo, move missiles, carry sensors, and hold territory without tying up large support crews. That is why its product is a rugged autonomy kit for trucks and tactical vehicles, not just another flying robot.
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Forterra frames the bottleneck as tooth to tail. Too many people are still assigned to driving and logistics instead of combat. Its goal is to let battalions and brigades move more cargo, sensing, and firepower with fewer people by making ground vehicles drive and coordinate at the edge.
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This is also why Forterra is dual use. The same autonomy stack that keeps working in degraded battlefield networks can run yard trucks in ports and distribution hubs, where vehicles still need to navigate changing layouts, poor connectivity, and constant trailer movement. The company chose terminal tractors because the workflow looks a lot like military logistics in miniature.
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The contrast with Shield AI and other drone players is useful. Air autonomy wins surveillance and rapid strike missions, and Shield AI has scaled around that demand. Forterra is aimed at the harder last mile problem, turning ground fleets into robotic carriers for supplies, sensors, and weapons once forces actually need to move and stay in place.
The next phase is a more connected robotic force where air, sea, and ground systems share tasks, but ground autonomy becomes more central because it is the layer that physically delivers mass and persistence. If Forterra executes, military buyers will increasingly treat autonomous trucks and tactical vehicles as standard equipment, much like drones became standard sensors over the last decade.