From RCV to UGCRV the Army Resets Its Unmanned Ground Strategy

The Army’s efforts to develop a Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) began in 2019, and seven years later it has gone through several transitions. The Army initially intended RCV to develop three variants: a light, medium, and heavy vehicle to meet different operational needs. Despite tests taking place in 2024, in May 2025, the Army ultimately decided to shift the program due to the complexity and rising costs associated with RCV.

By August 2025, RCV had become Unmanned Ground Commercial Robotic Vehicles (UGCRV). This time, the effort to create an unmanned armored vehicle came with a per-unit cap of $650,000. UGCRV is being led by the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team (NGCV CFT) out of Warren, Michigan, a unit of the Army Futures Command.

This report will look at what happened to RCV, what the Army hopes to do differently with UGCRV, and the latest updates on its efforts to do so.

In June 2025, IDGA hosted its annual Armored Vehicle USA event. The two-day event provided a forum for the U.S. Army and defense industry to collaborate and discuss all things armored vehicles, including the RCV. In June 2026, Armored Vehicle USA is set to return to the Detroit area, this time with an updated agenda to reflect the ongoing changes to the DoW. This year’s conference, taking place June 23-24 in the Detroit Metro Area, will include conversations on the UGCRV, as well as presentations on the Army’s acquisition reform, and much more.