GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) — Phase II
Phase II award for palletized-load autonomy under the Army's GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) program, announced alongside — but separate from — Forterra's ~$114M 'Sandhills' autonomous-breaching prime contract and a $4.8M UxS contract; GEARS Phase II's own value has not been publicly disclosed.
GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) is a Defense Innovation Unit/Army program to retrofit existing Oshkosh Palletized Load System (PLS) heavy logistics trucks with autonomous-driving kits rather than fielding new vehicles, enabling driverless resupply convoys. Forterra was selected alongside Carnegie Robotics to prototype GEARS kits after a 2023 DIU downselect, advancing to Phase II testing in November 2025. GEARS Phase II was announced in the same November 2025 press release as two other, separate Forterra Army awards — a ~$114M 'Sandhills' prime contract for autonomous breaching/terrain-shaping systems, and a $4.8M UxS contract — but no source ties the $114M figure to GEARS itself.
Award detail
- Agency
- U.S. Army
- Award ID
- Ceiling value
- Undisclosed
- Vehicle
- Phase II award
- Awarded
- 2025-11-01
- Period of performance ends
Programs0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is the GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) — Phase II contract?
- GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) is a Defense Innovation Unit/Army program to retrofit existing Oshkosh Palletized Load System (PLS) heavy logistics trucks with autonomous-driving kits rather than fielding new vehicles, enabling driverless resupply convoys. Forterra was selected alongside Carnegie Robotics to prototype GEARS kits after a 2023 DIU downselect, advancing to Phase II testing in November 2025. GEARS Phase II was announced in the same November 2025 press release as two other, separate Forterra Army awards — a ~$114M 'Sandhills' prime contract for autonomous breaching/terrain-shaping systems, and a $4.8M UxS contract — but no source ties the $114M figure to GEARS itself.
- Which agency awarded the GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) — Phase II contract?
- The GEARS (Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System) — Phase II contract was awarded by U.S. Army under a Phase II award vehicle.
Sources & citations2
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Army picks Carnegie Robotics and Forterra for autonomous logistics truck prototyping under the GEARS program
Breaking Defense: Army picks Carnegie, Forterra for autonomous logistics truck prototypingVerified2025-02-01 - 2
Forterra's November 2025 Series C announcement lists three separate U.S. Army awards: a $114 million prime contract for autonomous breaching systems, a Phase II award for the Army's GEARS program (value undisclosed), and a $4.8 million contract for the Army's UxS program — GEARS and the $114M breaching contract are distinct awards.
GlobeNewswire: Forterra Closes $238 Million Series C, Cementing Leadership in Autonomy and Interoperable SystemsVerified2025-11-12