Washington: The US Army and Defence Innovation Unit selected Anduril Industries to develop a software framework thought foundational to testing and deploying future robotic combat vehicle payloads.

The company announced the deal April 3 without providing details about contract length. A spokesperson declined to say how much the agreement is worth.

Robotic combat vehicles are unmanned systems envisioned to work alongside soldiers, helping supplies or surveilling adversaries with sophisticated sensors. The RCVs are also part of a larger Army overhaul dubbed Next Generation Combat Vehicle, which includes the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, formerly the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.

Anduril’s digital effort will enable RCV variants to navigate terrain, swap and adopt government-owned and third-party autonomy stacks, and allow remote management of a vehicle’s equipment, according to its announcement.

“Integrating disparate hardware and software is a critical step in the development and validation of any autonomous system,” Zach Mears, an Anduril senior vice president, said in a statement.