The Marine Corps has awarded nearly $30 million to contractors Forterra and Oshkosh Defense to add autonomous self-driving capabilities to the service's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle-mounted anti-ship missile launcher, according to announcements from the companies and the Pentagon.
Under the award, the two companies will integrate Forterra’s “AutoDrive” autonomy system onto the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires capability. ROGUE-Fires consists of the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) -- an anti-ship launcher that fires Naval Strike Missiles -- mounted on Oshkosh’s JLTV.
Intended to provide forward-deployed Marines with a ground-based, anti-surface sea denial capability, ROGUE-Fires is an important piece of the service’s expeditionary advanced base operating concept and force design plans as it prepares for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific.
While present iterations of the ROGUE-Fires system are controlled remotely or follow a leader vehicle, the new contract is intended to give the system truly self-driving capabilities, which are intended to reduce the risk and operational burden placed upon Marines.
According to Forterra’s announcement, the award is the Pentagon’s first production contract specifically for ground vehicle autonomy. The technology will allow the Marine Corps to “move beyond leader-follower capabilities and deploy self-driving technology with high maneuverability for off-road applications in nearly any environment,” the announcement continues.
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025, Oshkosh’s announcement states, with work under the award scheduled to conclude in calendar year 2026.
Oshkosh received two low-rate initial production orders for ROGUE-Fires earlier in fiscal year 2025 as the Marine Corps moves to rapidly field the capability, the company’s notice states.
Adding self-driving technology to the system “provides the Marine Corps with increased flexibility, scalability and resilience in contested environments,” the announcement adds. “By reducing the need for human driving in high-risk combat environments, this technology enhances battlefield lethality critical to success in the United States Indo-Pacific Command.”