Autonomous Ford F-250 with Counter-Drone Turret Takes Part in Army Exercise
On August 18, 2026, the U.S. Army tested an autonomous Ford F-250 fitted with the computer-guided Edda turret during Exercise Project Sandhills 2.0 at Range 63, Fort Liberty. The vehicle is the latest concept aimed at defeating drones and supports remote mine clearing and obstacle removal. Thanks to Forterra's AutoDrive system, the truck can follow planned routes from a safe standoff distance while crew members maintain control.
What Makes Up the Experimental Testbed
The Ford F-250 testbed used in the exercise brings together two core elements: Forterra's AutoDrive and the Edda turret, made by Austin-based 9 Mothers. Weighing about 23 kilograms, Edda relies on an acoustic sensor suite to spot small unmanned aircraft roughly 7 inches across. Its effective engagement range is between 10 and 100 meters, and the sensors normally run in a completely passive configuration, with radar as an optional add-on.
Project Sandhills 2.0 also served as a proving ground for NetSense, a Lockheed Martin technology developed with partners. NetSense repurposes commercial 5G towers into sensitive airspace-monitoring sensors. In its first field tests near Miami, the system picked up a drone and followed its movement in real time without interruption.
According to NextGenDefense, the exercise evaluated whether emerging technologies are ready to move beyond the demonstration stage. The F-250 showed it can automatically reduce obstacles, a capability that matters for completing combat missions successfully.
These tests highlight the military's efforts to keep pace with new threats, especially the small unmanned aircraft that now appear widely on battlefields. Adding autonomous driving and advanced sensing to platforms such as the F-250 could improve army effectiveness while cutting down risk to personnel, an increasingly important part of modern military strategy.
As the U.S. Army continues to innovate in counter-drone technology, recent advancements like the reusable interceptor have demonstrated significant effectiveness in neutralizing threats. In a single mission, this system successfully eliminated over 50 enemy drones, showcasing the growing importance of integrated defense strategies. To learn more about this groundbreaking technology and its implications for future military operations, visit our detailed coverage on the reusable interceptor.