Kodiak And The U.S. Army’s Autonomous Driving Program

The National Defense Authorization Act that the House of Representatives recently passed included language supporting the Department of Defense’s efforts to automate future military ground vehicles to help keep servicemembers out of harm's way.

On the heels of this news, we spoke with AVIA member Kodiak to learn more about their collaboration with the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program to develop AV technologies for complex terrain navigation, military surveillance measures and other high-risk operations.

Many Americans likely haven’t considered how AVs can help support U.S. national security. How is the Defense Department thinking about how AVs can help them accomplish their mission?

Autonomous technology is not new to the Department of Defense (DoD). During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the U.S. military began to consider the potential for autonomous ground robots to neutralize Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). This began to shape the way the military thought strategically about how to leverage autonomy.

In 2018, DoD’s National Defense Strategy highlighted the national security challenges and opportunities of autonomous vehicles. This shifted the conventional thinking of autonomous vehicles as potential tools to mitigate or even eliminate the risk to the warfighter. Today, DoD is piloting, testing, and integrating autonomous ground capabilities to address a variety of missions including logistics and reconnaissance missions.

Currently, Kodiak Robotics is working with the Army to adaptcommercial autonomous trucking platform to the needs of future Army ground vehicles designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other high

Kodiak is working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) at the Defense Department. Can you tell us about the importance of this partnership?

DoD spearheaded most of the initial work in autonomous vehicles, including the famous DARPA Challenge, which kicked off the race to self-driving cars. Over the last decade, however, billions of dollars of investments in civilian self-driving technology has allowed civilian developers to gain a clear lead over defense-focused contractors. Recognizing this shift in technology leadership, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the leading organization at DoD specifically focused on accelerating the adoption of commercial technology at DoD, began thinking about ways to leverage private sector technology developments for defense purposes.

Kodiak’s $50 million contract through DIU and the U.S. Army, represents an initial phase of this acquisition strategy. It’s a potential win-win for the taxpayers and the AV industry alike – DoD gains access to cutting-edge technology without spending billions to develop it from scratch, and non-traditional defense companies like Kodiak can leverage what they learn for both defense and commercial purposes. The dual-use commercial technology acquisition model represents a potentially transformative path to ensuring the U.S. military has access to cutting-edge technologies at a fraction of the cost.

How has Congress supported DOD’s engagement with AV companies like Kodiak?

Congress recently became aware of the dangers associated with the U.S. ceding its leadership in autonomous technology. The Energy and Commerce Committee's July 26 hearing on autonomous vehicles shined a light on the importance of maintaining American superiority over China in this critical 21st century industry. It's critical that Congress support autonomous vehicle development, for economic and military competitiveness alike, particularly as special interests in the states look to halt autonomous vehicle progress.

Additionally, Congressional support for dual use and autonomous technology is critical to help bridge the gap between the private sector and DoD. One way is through legislation, like we’ve seen in the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Kodiak was thrilled to see both the House and Senate include language in the NDAA supporting ground combat vehicle autonomation. This language demonstrates that autonomy is a high priority for Congress, and demonstrates Congress’s excitement for the potential for DoD to contract with dual-use companies to accelerate defense technologies and better compete with China.

We were also heartened to see the House Appropriations Committee funding language for DIU, which authorizes a billion-dollar budget increase for the innovation organization. Enhancing DIU’s authority and budget allow the innovation hub to fund and tackle more projects like the Robotic Combat Vehicle and continue to provide pathways for small and medium sized businesses to enter the Defense ecosystem.

AV companies are engaged with policymakers at every level of government. What lessons should policymakers generally take from Kodiak’s experience working with the Defense Department?

America’s technology leadership is one of our country’s greatest strengths. It drives our economy, and protects ourselves and our allies. Cutting-edge, AI-based technologies increasingly have dual-use, civilian/military applications, so advances in civilian technology impact our national security. The U.S. government, and U.S. taxpayers, benefit when it can leverage the billions of dollars spent in commercial R&D that then can be directed to critical DoD missions. Ultimately, a continued and intentional effort to adopt the innovation from the commercial sector is an efficient and important path for U.S. competitiveness.

By the same token, special-interest efforts to curtail the use of advanced technologies in the civilian sector will have unpredictable, potentially catastrophic impacts on American military and economic competitiveness.

Kodiak has therefore been lucky enough to partner with some of the biggest names in freight, including IKEA, Werner Enterprises, Pilot Company, C.R. England, Tyson Foods, CEVA Logistics, and U.S. Xpress. For example, in April Kodiak announced that we’re working with C.R. England to haul Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio. We also deliver IKEA products from Houston to an IKEA store in Frisco, Texas.

Outside of securing this DIU contract, Kodiak also works alongside prominent logistics and trucking companies. What is the demand for commercial and research partnerships to utilize AV technology?

When Kodiak was founded in 2018, autonomous technology was not top of mind for the trucking industry. Over the last few years, however, the trucking industry has committed to the autonomous future, and recognizes that the technology is critical to the future of trucking. America simply does not have enough truck drivers. The American Trucking Association estimates that there is a shortage of approximately 78,000 drivers and it is expected to reach 160,000 by 2031. While just a few years ago, few Americans thought much about the truck driver shortage, the supply chain crisis has made logistics a top-tier concern for many people. Autonomous trucks will be able to operate nearly 24/7, while increasing road safety.

Kodiak has therefore been lucky enough to partner with some of the biggest names in freight, including IKEA, Werner Enterprises, Pilot Company, C.R. England, Tyson Foods, CEVA Logistics, and U.S. Xpress. For example, in April Kodiak announced that we’re working with C.R. England to haul Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio. We also deliver IKEA products from Houston to an IKEA store in Frisco, Texas.