How Unmanned Ground Vehicles Could Change Land Warfare Tactics

BusinessAerospace & DefenseHow Unmanned Ground Vehicles Could Change Land Warfare TacticsByZita Ballinger Fletcher,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zita Ballinger Fletcher is a defense technology reporterFollow AuthorMay 18, 2026, 04:31pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A KUNA Unmanned Ground Vehicle is used to deliver mobile firepower during training exercises in Poland in February 2026, in the latest example of how UGVs are changing land warfare tactics. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesAs artificial intelligence technology and autonomous systems transform military power around the world, unmanned ground vehicles are showing potential to enhance how ground troops fight battles. These systems, also called UGVs, can be used to perform mobile reconnaissance ahead of troops in the field, as stationary observation posts, to protect service members in rearguard actions, and potentially to perform one-way suicide attacks. Possible tactical uses for autonomous vehicles are nearly limitless. Last month, the U.S. Army released a solicitation for a robust UGV capable of delivering essential supplies across what is called the “last tactical mile," denoting the most dangerous zone where troops and supplies must cross within sight of the enemy and under fire. U.S. Marines load a Rheinmetall Mission Master Silent Partner onto a CH-53E Super Stallion during an exercise in Okinawa, Japan in January 2026. This was the first time that the unmanned ground vehicle was airlifted. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre)U.S. Marine CorpsThe Army has called for the new UGV to be able to move stealthily and completely autonomously under heavy fire, move various types of equipment at speed, and safely evacuate at least two wounded soldiers at a time “from the point of injury to a casualty collection p...