U.S. Army Broadens Ground Drone Roles With ULTRA Wheeled Unmanned Vehicle for Future Combat

The US Army is evaluating Overland AI's ULTRA 4x4 uncrewed ground vehicle in exercises involving resupply, reconnaissance, breaching support and counter-drone surveillance. Overland AI reported that four vehicles supported a month-long training rotation with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, where autonomous resupply reduced distribution timelines by about 50%. Other exercises examined route reconnaissance, command-post relocation, obstacle breaching and aerial-threat detection. At AUSA 2026, ULTRA was also displayed with Leonardo DRS's Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar. These activities demonstrate several potential battlefield roles, while routine combat employment and Army-wide adoption remain unconfirmed.