Fort Benning begins autonomous shuttle mapping for Army pilot
Fort Benning has begun mapping routes for a six-vehicle autonomous shuttle pilot, with phased testing scheduled through the end of 2026.
At a glance
- Pilot fleet
- Six vehicles: four electric and two hybrid
- Initial mapping period
- Two to three weeks
- Evaluation horizon
- Through the end of 2026
- Photograph capture date
- 2026-11-04
Fort Benning received five commercial autonomous vehicles November 4 for the Army’s Robotic Operations for Autonomous Delivery and Sustainment challenge, beginning a pilot focused on passenger shuttles inside the Georgia installation.
The mixed fleet will total six vehicles—four electric and two hybrid—from Applied Intuition, Forterra and May Mobility, and Perrone Robotics. Vendor teams will initially drive the vehicles manually while mapping approved routes with lidar, video and GPS. Fort Benning expects that phase to take two to three weeks.
Phased demonstrations and performance testing are planned through the end of 2026. The vehicles will remain on hard-surfaced roads and avoid sensitive areas including Lawson Army Airfield, ammunition supply points and tactical compounds. Safety drivers will remain aboard during testing before any move to fully driverless operation.
Charles Auer, chief of future operations in the installation’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, said the pilot is intended to reduce the administrative driving burden on soldiers and return instructional time to training personnel. Fort Benning and the Defense Innovation Unit will evaluate safety and operating performance before considering any transition.
The Army announcement did not disclose a pilot budget, contract value or open procurement.
Next step: manual route mapping is expected to run for two to three weeks, followed by phased tests through December 2026.
Photo: Five pilot vehicles arriving at Fort Benning on November 4. U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, public domain. Photograph record.
Source: Fort Benning Public Affairs Office, reviewed November 11, 2026.
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Read story →What happens next
Manual mapping is expected to take two to three weeks, followed by phased demonstrations and performance evaluations through the end of 2026.
Source for this milestone →Why it matters for the industry
The pilot tests whether commercial autonomous shuttles can reduce routine soldier driving demands on a large installation; the source does not announce a budget, contract value or open procurement.
Supporting source →Sources & reporting
- Fort Benning Public Affairs Office announcement · 2026-11-06
- DVIDS photograph record · 2026-11-04
Sources checked 2026-11-11.