U.S. Army Evaluates DeepFires Autonomous Launcher for Future Long Range Precision Fires.

The U.S. Army is evaluating the experimental DeepFires autonomous artillery system during Project Convergence Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, California. The trials aim to determine how robotic launchers and resupply vehicles can increase survivability while keeping combat decisions under human control.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, are testing the DeepFires autonomous launcher alongside a robotic ammunition resupply vehicle and a mobile command post at the National Training Center. The demonstration is focused on validating the Army's Human Machine Integration (HMI) concept, in which autonomous systems carry out high-risk tasks such as launcher emplacement and ammunition resupply, allowing crews to remain farther from enemy fires while commanders retain authority over targeting and engagement decisions.

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The DeepFires launcher prototype evaluated during Project Convergence Capstone 6 integrates autonomous navigation and remote command capabilities as part of the U.S. Army's future long-range fires concept.(Picture source: US DoD)

This latest phase builds on work carried out during Project Convergence Capstone 5 and the Contested Force Integration Warfare Exercise (CFWE). Rather than evaluating a single vehicle, the U.S. Army is testing an integrated autonomous fires architecture in which a protected command vehicle remotely controls robotic launchers and logistics platforms. The objective extends beyond autonomous driving, examining how rocket artillery units could deploy, fire, reload, and reposition while maintaining command authority within a protected platform.

According to information released on August 1, 2026, by the 75th Field Artillery Brigade Public Affairs, the centerpiece of the experiment is DeepFires, a system developed by RTX, through Raytheon, in cooperation with Forterra, Oshkosh Defense, Corvid Technologies, and Collins Aerospace. The platform is based on the FMTV A2 6×6 tactical truck produced by Oshkosh Defense. The industrial demonstrator unveiled by RTX during AUSA 2025 in Washington, D.C., featured a cabless configuration, with navigation, control, and mission management functions integrated into a compact forward module to reduce the platform's signature while increasing the space available for onboard electronics. The vehicles currently undergoing evaluation at Fort Irwin retain the standard FMTV A2 cab, indicating that the trials are focused primarily on autonomous control, command architecture, and launcher functions rather than the final vehicle configuration. During Project Convergence, DeepFires operates as an autonomous Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM) launcher controlled from a Joint Unmanned Autonomous System Multi-Payload System Command and Control (JUMPS C2) vehicle, while an Autonomous Resupply Vehicle (ARV) provides ammunition transport and logistical support.

The rear section of the vehicle incorporates a containerized launcher module equipped with two rows of vertical launch cells that can be configured according to mission requirements. This modular architecture enables the integration of different weapon types. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the system provides long-range conventional strike capability against command posts, strategic infrastructure, or integrated air defense systems at ranges exceeding 1,600 kilometers. Configured with Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptors, the same launcher can perform air and missile defense missions against aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles using hit-to-kill interception technology. This modular approach enables the platform to shift from deep-strike operations to force protection missions without major structural modifications. Forterra supplies the autonomous driving software, allowing the vehicle to navigate without a driver, negotiate complex terrain, avoid obstacles, and conduct movement, firing, and resupply operations autonomously. The JUMPS C2 vehicle relies on a multilayer communications architecture designed for Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments, ensuring continuity across the sensor-to-shooter chain despite electronic warfare conditions.

DeepFires is designed to operate across a wide range of terrain and weather conditions. It incorporates onboard power generation, can sustain autonomous operations over extended periods, and features increased payload capacity to reduce the frequency of resupply missions. The platform is also C-130-transportable, enabling rapid deployment to remote operational areas or locations with limited infrastructure. This level of strategic mobility supports the rapid deployment of long-range fires capabilities during expeditionary operations.

Operational feedback remains a central element of the program. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment participate in Soldier Touchpoints, during which engineers refine software and system behavior based on observations made during field evaluations. This process differs from traditional acquisition cycles by allowing industry partners to incorporate feedback from operational users throughout the testing campaign, accelerating software updates and system refinement before any potential production decision.

The architecture addresses vulnerabilities observed in recent conflicts. The widespread use of ISR drones, satellites, counter-battery radars, and precision-guided weapons has reduced the survivability of conventional artillery units. By physically separating the command element from the launchers and resupply vehicles, DeepFires reduces the visual, thermal, and electromagnetic signature of the crewed component. If a launcher is detected, the command crew can remain several kilometers away in a protected location. Future development plans indicate that a single JUMPS C2 vehicle could control up to four autonomous launchers and multiple robotic resupply vehicles, increasing available firepower without a proportional increase in personnel while improving force survivability. This distributed architecture is also intended to sustain a high operational tempo in contested multidomain environments.

The program has also drawn the attention of senior Army leadership. On July 24, 2026, Under Secretary of the Army Michael Obadal visited the 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, accompanied by representatives from Army Futures Command. During the visit, he received briefings on DeepFires, the Juggernaut Launcher, and the JUMPS C2 vehicle before evaluating their autonomous and remote-control capabilities. Representatives from III Armored Corps also presented the system's Long Range Maneuver (LRM) concept, outlining how autonomous launch platforms could support future long-range maneuver operations.

Beyond its technical characteristics, DeepFires reflects the U.S. Army's broader transition toward a distributed artillery architecture in which launchers, logistics assets, and command elements are physically separated but connected through resilient digital networks. The program aligns with the Army's Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) modernization effort and its Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) concept, both of which seek to preserve operational freedom in contested environments. If the system reaches operational maturity, it could influence future artillery modernization programs among allied armed forces facing similar requirements for dispersion, mobility, and survivability against adversaries capable of combining electronic warfare, persistent surveillance, and long-range precision strike capabilities.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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