L3Harris shows improved robotic recon vehicle

L3Harris Technologies has showcased an upgraded version of its “Diamondback” unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., presenting a next-generation platform for autonomous reconnaissance and security missions.

According to the company, the new Diamondback is “a rapidly configurable and highly mobile autonomous ground vehicle for around-the-clock reconnaissance and security operations,” developed in partnership with Carnegie Robotics.

The system is designed to complement a mixed fleet of autonomous vehicles, all of which can be controlled using AMORPHOUS, a multi-domain command and control architecture developed to support collaborative autonomy at scale.

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As noted by L3Harris, Diamondback’s modular design and enhanced autonomy stack allow the vehicle to adapt quickly to mission requirements, providing operational flexibility across diverse terrain and threat environments. The company said the platform’s advanced mobility, coupled with its mission-specific payload suites, “allows first contact to happen anywhere, reducing risk to force.”

The partnership with Carnegie Robotics focuses on combining L3Harris’ defense systems experience with the robotics company’s expertise in autonomous mobility. The result, according to the developers, is a fully mission-ready system capable of operating independently or alongside other autonomous assets in a networked environment.

L3Harris's Diamondback unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the AUSA 2025. Photo by Kyungsub Kim
L3Harris’s Diamondback unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the AUSA 2025. Photo by Kyungsub Kim

In a statement, L3Harris emphasized that the upgraded Diamondback “is made for operations, not just movement,” describing it as a complete mission solution that integrates reconnaissance, surveillance, and security roles into a single autonomous platform.

The vehicle’s modular and open systems architecture (MOSA) enables rapid updates and payload swaps, allowing forces to tailor its configuration for specific operational needs. Its commercial-based design leverages existing production lines to ensure cost efficiency and scalability for near-term fielding.

The company noted that Diamondback’s high-speed off-road platform ensures strong performance across a variety of terrains. Its autonomy package is supported by onboard safety monitoring software that allows trusted operations in complex environments.

Diamondback can be remotely controlled at ranges of up to 25 kilometers using L3Harris’ Wraith jam-resistant radio waveform. For extended reach, it also features a Starlink terminal, enabling satellite-based control when line-of-sight communication is unavailable.

The updated vehicle underscores L3Harris’ approach to fielding scalable autonomous solutions that integrate across land and air domains. Its integration with AMORPHOUS, the company’s multi-domain autonomy framework, allows operators to coordinate multiple unmanned systems simultaneously—whether in reconnaissance, logistics, or security missions.

L3Harris said this development comes at a time when “traditional reconnaissance and security are being challenged by the proliferation of threat systems and challenges to force structures.” The company describes Diamondback as a “smart, scalable, and cost-effective solution that keeps forces safe while providing a tactical advantage.”

With its advanced autonomy, mobility, and modular payload capacity, Diamondback is positioned to support the U.S. Army’s modernization goals and to serve as a testbed for future collaborative autonomous operations.

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