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Textron Systems and Kodiak Robotics have announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop an uncrewed military vehicle. This innovative collaboration combines Textron Systems’ extensive expertise in military ground vehicles with Kodiak’s cutting-edge autonomous driving technology, aiming to create a driverless vehicle for defense applications.
Key Highlights:
- Integration of Kodiak’s Autonomous System: Kodiak will incorporate its leading autonomous system, the Kodiak Driver, into a Textron Systems prototype military vehicle designed specifically for driverless operations.
- Adaptable Technology: The vehicle will utilize the same core technology found in Kodiak’s autonomous long-haul trucks, validated over nearly 3 million miles of real-world operations.
- Innovative DefensePods: The vehicle will feature Kodiak DefensePods, modular, swappable SensorPods tailored for military use, enabling quick field replacements by technicians.
Textron Systems, a leader in military ground vehicles, and Kodiak, a pioneer in autonomous driving technology, are collaborating to advance the development of AI-powered, autonomous military vehicles. This partnership highlights the readiness and adaptability of the Kodiak Driver for diverse vehicle types, enhancing functionality, reliability, and ruggedness in military operations.
The companies plan to demonstrate driverless operations of the integrated system later in 2024. This initiative aims to explore future opportunities with the U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, focusing on deploying uncrewed vehicles for high-risk and complex tasks, thereby enhancing national security and protecting military personnel.
David Phillips, Senior Vice President of Land and Sea Systems at Textron Systems, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: “Integrating our vehicle with Kodiak’s AI-powered autonomy software and pioneering modular DefensePods represents a major step forward in delivering a mission-ready autonomous system.”
Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, highlighted the potential of this partnership: “Collaborating with Textron Systems will allow us to showcase the capabilities of Kodiak’s AI-powered, driverless technology in military, off-road environments. Together, we can bring new capabilities to ground systems, supporting the warfighter at the speed of relevance.”
Kodiak’s collaboration with Textron Systems marks a strategic expansion into military applications for its autonomous technology. This partnership builds on Kodiak’s efforts, including the unveiling of its first autonomous test vehicle for the DoD in December 2023, a Ford F-150 equipped with Kodiak’s technology.
Textron Systems brings over three decades of experience in uncrewed land, air, and sea systems. By joining forces with Kodiak, Textron Systems leverages industry-leading autonomy capabilities, bolstering its expertise in developing advanced military ground vehicles.
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