Major US Army Exercise Validates Autonomous Ground Vehicle Fleet

ARX Robotics UK has completed its participation in Project Convergence-Capstone 6, deploying uncrewed ground systems at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, to evaluate advanced battlefield autonomy at an operational scale.

Led by the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division, the month-long exercise represented the largest experiment in the history of Project Convergence, bringing together military units from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The multinational event tested more than 100 emerging battlefield technologies to validate the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control architecture and enhance operational interoperability across allied forces.

During the exercise, ARX Robotics UK deployed eight of its flagship GEREON uncrewed ground systems alongside the UK’s Experimentation and Trials Group, 11 Brigade, and 3rd Deep Recce Strike Brigade. Operating 24/7 and embedded directly with British soldiers, the platforms conducted a wide range of operational missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, counter-uncrewed aircraft system tasks, logistics resupply, and casualty evacuation.

Colonel Jim Howard OBE, Commander Experimentation & Trials Group (ETG) for the British Army, commented, “It is great to see ARX Robotics being put through its paces in one of the world’s most demanding training scenarios, both geographically and under highly technology-contested conditions, across mission sets ranging from reconnaissance and counter-UAS to logistics and casualty evacuation.

“Project Convergence-Capstone 6 provides a valuable opportunity to test how the British Army integrates autonomous and uncrewed systems into land operations alongside existing networks and capabilities, within a multinational corps-level event. This experimentation is central to delivering the Chief of the General Staff’s 20-40-40 vision and understanding how autonomous systems can generate greater mass, reach and operational effect.”

Throughout the trial, the GEREON platforms operated across Fort Irwin’s severe desert terrain while maintaining persistent connectivity with allied communications, command-and-control, and data networks. Operational data generated by GEREON was integrated into brigade, division, and corps-level networks. By moving and repositioning specialist sensors in forward and hazardous areas, the systems extended the reach and depth of reconnaissance operations while minimizing direct risk to personnel and crewed vehicles.

To support diverse tactical requirements, the platforms carried various active and passive payloads. These integrated technologies included L3Harris’ CORVUS-RAVEN electronic warfare and counter-drone suite, MyDefence’s Watchdog counter-drone sensors, and Overview’s Podview reconnaissance and targeting system.

As part of the British sustainment line of experimentation, GEREON systems were also utilized to test novel field power management solutions. The trials involved charging the robotic control system using a Plasan ATeMM mobile energy platform and examining interactions with the British Army’s hybrid support vehicle, addressing critical operational challenges related to sustaining robotic fleets during prolonged, dispersed deployments.

David Roberts, CEO of ARX Robotics UK, added, “Project Convergence-Capstone 6 demonstrated that our systems are ready to operate at scale as part of a wider allied force, rather than as standalone technology.

“This is an important step in ARX’s growing activity in the United States. It showed that our common, software-defined platform can be deployed across multiple missions, integrated rapidly with partner technologies and connected into allied operational networks.”

Lessons and operational evidence gathered during the exercise will feed into future capability assessments, acquisition strategies, and the ongoing development of the GEREON platform, its underlying Mithra operating system, and future concepts for software-defined ground autonomy.