BAE Systems and Forterra have announced a joint effort to develop a prototype of an autonomous Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV). According to the announcement, this marks the first industry alliance BAE is establishing under its newly introduced “capability kit” program.

The collaboration is aimed at creating a self-driving, hardened combat vehicle that can be deployed more rapidly than traditional development cycles allow. The partners intend to showcase the prototype and its functions in 2026.

Under the agreement, Forterra will integrate its AutoDrive® full autonomy stack onto the modular AMPV chassis. The goal is to deliver a flexible, payload-agnostic platform that can support a wide variety of missions. Forterra’s vice president of Defense Growth, Patrick Acox, described AutoDrive as a key enabler for smarter battlefield networks and improved operational efficiency.

From BAE’s perspective, Bill Sheehy — the company’s Ground Maneuver product line director — emphasized that the partnership is focused on producing tangible, mission-relevant options for the Army, rather than theoretical concepts. He said the union of vehicle production expertise and advanced autonomy development allows for faster innovation and better tools for soldiers.

The announcement also notes that the advanced capability kit architecture is not limited to AMPV alone. It is designed to interoperate with other systems in the U.S. Army’s armored force structure, including vehicles like the Bradley A4 and the M109A7 Paladin howitzer.

As the two firms move forward, they plan to push forward with further development, integration, and testing of the autonomous AMPV system, with an eye toward offering new battlefield capabilities in the years ahead.