Hypercraft

A Utah defense technology company has launched an autonomous ground vehicle that carries 2,400 pounds of payload, travels 280 miles on a single charge, and exports 38 kilowatts of power to charge drones, run directed energy weapons, and sustain forward command posts. It's all without a human on board. Hypercraft, based in Provo, Utah, announced the official launch of Razorback, a next-generation autonomous unmanned ground vehicle designed as a software-defined mission platform for high-consequence environments. The company describes Razorback as a flexible, distributed autonomous operations node — a platform that replaces fixed logistics infrastructure and personnel-heavy forward operations with a vehicle that can autonomously deliver supplies, generate power, relay communications, conduct counter-UAS missions, and evacuate casualties across the same contested terrain that makes those missions dangerous for human crews in the first place. The powertrain architecture that enables those capabilities is a diesel hybrid-electric system featuring a 50 kilowatt range extender with 95 kilowatt peak output, driving a combined 300 horsepower four-motor torque-vectoring system. Four independent motors mean that if one or more are damaged in combat, the vehicle continues operating — a redundancy design that reflects the reality that autonomous platforms operating forward will take hits and need to keep moving anyway. The same redundancy logic applies to the range extender and energy storage system: damage to either does not end the mission. At 60 miles per hour top speed and a 280-mile operational range, Razorback covers ground at a pace that keeps it relevant to the tactical formations it supports rather than trailing behind them. The 38 kilowatt exportable power capability is the feature that most clearly distinguishes Razorback from unmanned ground vehicles whose design stops at mobility and payload. Forward operations in contested environments run on power — drone charging stations, directed energy weapons, ISR sensor nodes, electronic warfare systems, and command post equipment all require continuous electrical supply that is difficult and dangerous to sustain through conventional generator and fuel logistics. A vehicle that arrives at a forward position carrying both supplies and the power infrastructure to sustain operations at that position does two jobs simultaneously, reducing the logistics footprint and the human exposure required to maintain it. The tactical microgrid concept Hypercraft has built into Razorback treats the vehicle as a mobile energy node rather than simply a cargo carrier — a distinction that matters considerably for the kind of distributed, austere operations that modern ground forces are increasingly required to conduct. The software-defined architecture is the design choice that Hypercraft argues makes Razorback future-proof in a way that conventional hardware-defined platforms are not. The central-zonal computing architecture decouples hardware from software, enabling over-the-air updates and rapid mission-set swaps without physical modification to the vehicle. A Razorback configured for contested logistics resupply can be reconfigured for electronic warfare relay or counter-UAS operations through software updates rather than physical reconfiguration — a capability that matters in operational environments where mission requirements change faster than logistics pipelines can deliver new hardware. The open architecture based on high-performance computing enables AI integration, edge processing, and accelerated incorporation of autonomy systems as they mature, meaning the platform's autonomous capabilities can grow with the technology rather than being frozen at the capability level that existed when the vehicle was built. The counter-UAS mission set reflects how thoroughly the drone threat has penetrated military planning at every level. Razorback's low-signature profile for sensors and interceptors provides 360-degree protection against Group 1 and 2 UAS threats — the small tactical drones that have demonstrated their lethality against ground forces in multiple recent conflicts. A counter-UAS platform that is itself autonomous eliminates the crew exposure problem that comes with manned counter-drone systems operating in contested environments, and its mobility allows it to reposition in response to threat geometry rather than providing static point defense from a fixed location. The casualty evacuation mission set is operationally important in ways that go beyond the immediate humanitarian function. Medical evacuation under fire has historically required exposing additional personnel to the same threat environment that created the casualty — a rescue attempt that generates additional casualties. An autonomous vehicle that can power life-sustaining medical equipment, reach a forward casualty position, and extract the injured without putting a medic or crew member at risk addresses one of the most emotionally and operationally costly problems in ground combat. The 2,400-pound payload capacity is more than sufficient for casualty evacuation loads, and the 280-mile range covers the evacuation distances that forward operations in distributed environments can generate. Brian Bowers, CEO at Hypercraft, framed the platform's positioning directly: "Razorback isn't just a vehicle; it's the new tactical standard. Razorback responds to the dynamic demands of modern warfare, unifying high-capacity power export in a high-performance off-road vehicle with advanced autonomous capabilities to ensure that forward operations succeed in an ever-changing environment." The mobility specifications that underpin all of those mission sets — 4-wheel hydraulic steering and neutral steer, 37-inch tires, and a 148-inch chassis — are engineered for the austere terrain that defines the operational environments where Razorback's capabilities are most needed. A vehicle that can carry 2,400 pounds and generate 38 kilowatts but cannot traverse the ground between the forward line of troops and the objective it's supporting is a vehicle that doesn't get used. The mobility package ensures the platform can actually reach the positions its mission sets require.

Hypercraft

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Hypercraft

Utah-based firm develops Razorback autonomous combat vehicle

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