Uncrewed Ground Vehicles in Military Operations: Lessons Learned from Experimental Exercises

The ongoing evolution of modern warfare demands innovative solutions to enhance operational effectiveness and gain a competitive edge on the battlefield. Integrating Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs) transforms military operations by efficiently performing various tasks while minimizing risks to human life. Developing a UGV architecture that adapts to different mission profiles is essential, though accessing military information and conducting tests can pose challenges. Nonethe-less, military experimentation exercises are crucial for ensuring optimal system performance and fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and the military, ultimately leading to more effective systems with direct military applications. This article shares lessons learned obtained through participation in the military experimentation exercises conducted by the Portuguese Army (PoA) and the Portuguese Navy (PoN) in 2024, aiming to accelerate future developments in UGV technology and promote their efficient use in military operations. Future work will focus on enhancing the platform by improving the algorithms used to boost its performance on the identified mission profiles and enabling its autonomous execution.