The US Army has selected Caterpillar, Forterra, IDV USA, and Overland AI for the Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability (EABC) program.
The initiative aims to develop autonomous robotic platforms capable of clearing minefields and other battlefield barriers while reducing soldiers’ exposure during high-risk breaching missions.
Designed for beyond-line-of-sight control, the systems will operate through complex defenses even under enemy observation or fire. Their role will be to open safe routes for troops and vehicles advancing behind them.
The proposed solutions include modified commercial machinery and purpose-built robotic platforms. Both approaches use modular payloads that can be adapted for different breaching missions.
Formal contracts are expected to be awarded in the coming weeks. The selected systems will then undergo demonstrations and operational assessments.
EABC is scheduled to culminate in a unit-level evaluation in early 2027.
Feedback from soldiers taking part in the assessment will help determine whether the systems are ready to move toward production.
Recent Programs
The selection brings together companies with established track records in military mobility and autonomous systems, several of which have secured major defense contracts in recent months.
Last month, the US Marine Corps awarded Overland AI a $20-million contract to produce unmanned ground vehicles for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, a mobile short-range air defense platform designed to counter drones and other low-flying threats.
Earlier this year, Forterra won a $92-million Marine Corps production contract, alongside Oshkosh Defense, for the ROGUE-Fires Block 2 program, expanding the deployment of autonomous ground vehicles supporting long-range precision fires.
In Europe, IDV, the parent company of IDV USA, signed a deal in April with Spain’s Indra to supply the chassis for 34 amphibious combat vehicles for the Spanish Marine Infantry under a program valued at $441 million.
Caterpillar, meanwhile, has long supplied equipment to the US military.
In 2022, the company received a Defense Logistics Agency contract valued at up to $1.28 billion to provide construction equipment to the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps through 2027.
