Autonomy on the front lines
With RTX’s DeepFires™ launcher, soldiers can stay farther from danger
Three tactical vehicles rumbled over rough terrain, kicking up long trails of dust in the triple‑digit heat of the Mojave Desert. From afar, it looked like a standard convoy maneuver. But up close, something unprecedented was happening.
Inside the cab of the leading vehicle, a soldier drove through the desert, while two others in the shelter behind him controlled the vehicles that followed – remotely navigating real terrain, correcting paths and executing tasks normally performed by drivers inside those trucks.
The exercise during the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PCC6) marked the first time the Army had operated a launcher mounted to a vehicle that could operate autonomously or with a remote driver. Raytheon, an RTX business, had demonstrated that system, known as the DeepFires launcher, in the Army’s experiment last year, but this was the first time the soldiers used it themselves.
Two dozen RTX employees accompanied them throughout the experiment, getting an up-close look at the company’s technology in action, and a deeper appreciation for the operators whose safety and success depend on it.
“Every day they learned more capabilities of the system,” said Jessie Polanco, Raytheon’s DeepFires program manager. “And every day, they changed how they would fight.”
“This is a game-changing moment for the Army, to realize their vision of human-machine integrated formations ... that’s the vision we’re working toward.”
Brian Burton | Vice President of Precision Fires & Maneuver | Raytheon
Building on experience
The concept for the DeepFires launcher began with a specific ask from the Army to integrate a next-generation launcher on a modern, mobile platform.
With six months’ lead time, a Raytheon team took a brand-new medium tactical vehicle, cut the roof, wired in an autonomy kit and integrated a Tomahawk® cruise missile launcher.
Soldier feedback began shaping the prototypes, leading to adjustments that ranged from repositioning a keyboard that snagged on a uniform to adding 360‑degree infrared cameras for a better view of the battlefield for optionally manned systems.
These rapid prototypes, built entirely through Raytheon investment, became the foundation for systems shaped through continuous soldier input.
“The team is constantly pushing the boundaries to make these systems super lightweight, transportable and lethal.”
Jessie Polanco | DeepFires Launcher program manager | Raytheon
Reaching across RTX – and the industry
To turn their prototype into a fielded solution in time for PCC6, the DeepFires team engaged experts across the industry to integrate systems, autonomy kits, antennas and user interfaces on an accelerated schedule.
David Duran, an associate director at Collins Aerospace, flew to Oshkosh, Wisconsin in January of 2026 to assess vehicles made by Oshkosh Defense with the autonomous driving technology from Forterra. To transform the vehicles into secure command-and-control platforms, the team installed Collins Aerospace communications technology that would enable soldiers to control not only the vehicles behind them, but the weapon systems those vehicles carry. This effort compressed what is normally a six-to-nine -month authorization process into about six weeks.
“When you’re working side by side with industry partners and warfighters over grueling days in a tough environment, you really get to know them and trust them. Being in that real-world environment helps us better understand their needs and ultimately improve their mission success.”
David Duran | Associate Director | Collins Aerospace
Making missions safer
The successful demonstration at PCC6 sets the stage for what comes next. Engineers are refining autonomy behaviors, expanding capabilities, and prioritizing investments based on how the DeepFires launcher performed in the exercise and the feedback soldiers provided.
The team is heading into upcoming exercises with the same goal: keep soldiers farther from danger while giving them the tools to remain the world’s most capable fighting force.
The appearance of U.S. Department of War visual information does not imply or constitute DOW endorsement.
TOMAHAWK is a U.S. trademark of the Department of the Navy, an agency of the U.S. Government. Used with permission. The appearance of the TOMAHAWK mark does not imply or constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government, the Department of War, or the Department of the Navy.
