FORT HOOD, Tx. -- After years of testing with U.S. Army and Marine Corps partners, the Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program approaches its conclusion.

DARPA notes that the program triggered a new wave of private investment related to robust autonomous capabilities.

In a series of final tests, demonstrations, and experiments this Fall, RACER vehicles demonstrated the ability to navigate complex terrain without human intervention, freeing up soldiers for other critical tasks.

In October 2025, DARPA partnered with the U.S. Army’s III Armored Corps' 36th Engineer Brigade at their combat breaching demonstration as part of the Machine Assisted Rugged Soldier program. Using the RACER Heavy Platform vehicle, the Army paired it with a M58 MICLIC - a rocket-projected mine clearing line charge used to clear direct passages for combat personnel through minefields.

In November 2025, soldiers from the reconnaissance squadron in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment used RACER technology as part of the opposition force in a live force-on-force exercise at the National Training Center.

Multiple companies have grown out of the RACER program, helping to build a market for off-road ground vehicle autonomy. These include Field AI, which spun out of DARPA-funded research at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Overland AI, from research at the University of Washington Robot Learning Laboratory.

DARPA also notes that the core autonomy stack is readily transferable to commercial applications in industries like agriculture, construction, mining, and transportation.

Source: DARPA
Associated URL: https://www.darpa.mil/news/2026/racer-finish-line

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, Nm. -- Lockheed Martin completed the first of a series of flight tests to demonstrate its Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI) capability, a potential replacement for the Stinger missile.

The flight test, which took place at the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, validated the interceptor's performance and marked the maturation of key interceptor subsystems. The test represented a step forward in the development of this missile system.

Source: Lockheed Martin
Associated URL: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2026-01-13-Lockheed-Martin-Successfully-Completes-First-Flight-Test-of-NGSRI

BOSTON - Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated announced that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army worth up to $32 million to deliver and integrate advanced electro-optical (EO/IR) systems for the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) Recon Kit.

The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., as part of a Foreign Military Sales agreement to support Bulgaria’s military modernization. Bulgaria is acquiring nearly 200 U.S.-made Stryker armored vehicles to replace its Soviet-era tactical vehicle fleet and enhance interoperability with NATO forces.

Teledyne FLIR Defense will provide long range thermal imaging sights and radars for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR-T), adding advanced capability in all-weather conditions, day or night, to Bulgaria’s Strykers. Products featured in the effort include the TacFLIR 280 HDEP EO/IR imaging system, Ranger R20SS long-range radar, and Cameleon control software for tracking and targeting threats.

Later phases of the vehicle modernization program will include FLIR Defense unmanned aircraft and launch systems, combined with Teledyne’s nuclear, biological and chemical detection sensors, to provide standoff identification of these deadly threats to Bulgarian Land Forces.

Source: Teledyne FLIR Defense
Associated URL: https://defense.flir.com/