We live in a time of unprecedented innovation in diverse fields, from computing to robotics and vehicle manufacturing. These innovations come together in the military vehicle industry, which stands at the cutting edge of today’s technological advancements, bolstering national security by staying two steps ahead of every threat.
If you’re a keen watcher of defense innovations, this guide from Advanced Conversion Technology explains key trends you need to know regarding where the military vehicle industry is today and where it’s headed tomorrow.
The future of military vehicles waits at the intersection of several trends already in motion today. Here are the top 11 military vehicle industry trends driving innovation.
The autonomous vehicle trend has captured the imagination in the civilian market and has become increasingly relevant to defense. In 2019, the United States military announced the deployment of autonomous combat trucks to reduce accidents.
The global autonomous vehicle market is worth over $270 billion and is forecast to reach over $4,450 billion within the next decade. The defense industry contributed $17.53 billion in autonomous vehicle revenue during 2024 alone and has emerged as a leading source of demand for this technology.
Trailblazing manufacturers have already developed AI-driven aircraft, drones, weapons, and intelligence systems. These technologies are capable of executing complex defense missions without requiring human intervention. The latest autonomous defense vehicles benefit from enhanced situational awareness, integrating video streaming and recording with artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to capture and communicate real-time intelligence.
Achieving full autonomy for combat vehicles remains challenging because of the high-stakes, unpredictable environments in which these machines operate. Compliance with international laws and ethical standards is also a consideration with machines capable of executing autonomous lethal force.
Expect to see substantial progress in solving these problems over the coming years, with significant investment and concerns for the safety of human soldiers driving innovation.
While NVIDIA and Tesla may be the first names on many people’s minds when discussing robotics, the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense (DOD) are at the forefront of robotic vehicle innovation. The robotic combat vehicle (RCV) is one of the most pertinent examples.
RCVs integrate robotics, AI, and advanced weaponry to navigate difficult terrain, gather intelligence, and confront enemy forces. They can operate semi-autonomously or via remote control, minimizing human vulnerability while maximizing efficiency. Light, medium, and heavy RCV variants exist, optimized for differing combat priorities from rapid deployment to intense combat situations.
Key features of the latest RCVs include:
These features help the military to enhance commanders’ battlefield awareness, bring greater force to combat situations, and save lives.
Defense vehicle innovations are going airborne as the field of avionics progresses. For example, the U.S. Air Force has contracted industry leaders to build and supply Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). These are military drones with onboard AI control systems designed to collaborate with teams alongside manned aircraft.
Among the broader trends shaping tomorrow’s avionics, key developments include:
Military vehicle electronics systems are advancing in response to demand for increased efficiency, connectivity, and automation. Prevailing industry trends are driving vetronics innovations like:
Advancing ruggedization is a mainstay of defense vehicle developments, and this trend will continue over the coming years. Vehicles and components must withstand harsh temperatures, intense vibrations, and impact by enemy forces.
Material scientists are developing superior lightweight composites, high-strength alloys, and enhanced coatings for optimal durability without excessive weight. These developments enable equipment to meet and exceed military standards, such as:
Extending military vehicle lifespans is a constant priority, as it helps to reduce acquisition spending, preserve operational readiness, and minimize downtime.
As today’s global security context demands maintenance strategies that keep technologically advanced machines ready for action within constrained budgets, extending life spans is even more important. This means the DOD and U.S. Army are paying increasing attention to modernization programs and sustainment strategies to keep vehicles in service longer.
Traditional lifespan extension protocols include routine maintenance, updates and upgrades, repairs, part replacements, and technical assistance. Every year, more advanced solutions are emerging for each of these processes.
One key area of innovation is predictive maintenance. Some new vehicles can carry onboard sensors to monitor the condition of components like engines, hydraulics, and transmissions. This technology automates proactive maintenance scheduling via machine learning analysis of sensor data. A predictive maintenance strategy can help reduce breakdowns, cut expenses, and optimize vehicle performance.
Sustainability is a major concern motivating innovation in the military vehicle industry. Environmental regulations, resource scarcity, and increasing consciousness of how military operations impact ecosystems are steering the military toward efficiency and sustainability throughout the vehicle life cycle.
Key trends in defense vehicle sustainability include:
Cybersecurity is becoming paramount as defense and military vehicles become increasingly connected to networks. Vetronics and avionics systems rely on networks for communication, navigation, sensor data processing, and weapons control, creating potential points of vulnerability to cyberattacks. As threats become more sophisticated, cybersecurity is a focus of innovations aiming to protect vehicles, intelligence, and lives.
A fundamental aspect of military vehicle cybersecurity is its layered security architecture. Layered architectures involve multiple stages of security barriers, including firewalls, intrusion detection, and encryption. These cybersecurity systems may also involve secure boot and runtime integrity monitoring to ensure only authorized software loads onto vehicle systems and all vehicle software remains free from tampering during operation.
Robust authentication and access control protocols are also foundational to vehicle cybersecurity. Best practices in this area include:
Recent breakthroughs in quantum computing have forced the rapid development of post-quantum cryptography (PQC), as many current cryptographic algorithms could be susceptible to attacks by quantum computers. Expect PQC to become a standard cybersecurity measure, especially for combat and intelligence vehicles.
AI’s applications in the military vehicle industry are expanding and improving at an astonishing pace. Along with autonomous navigation, predictive maintenance, and sensor fusion, key areas of development to watch include:
Stealth technology is progressing to minimize vehicles’ visibility to enemies across radar, infrared, acoustic, and visual detection systems. Strides in stealth technology can be decisive in mission success in contested environments.
The current state of stealth tech includes shaping vehicles to deflect radar waves and applying radar-absorbing materials (RAM), advanced cooling, and specialized exhausts to conceal vehicles’ thermal signatures, adaptive camouflage for visual stealth, and reduced noise for acoustic stealth.
Looking to the future of stealth tech, expect to see more of the following:
Advanced power supplies are essential to a wide array of military vehicles. The further vehicle innovations progress, the more imperative, reliable, and efficient power supplies become. Technological developments will drive significant growth in the military power supply market, reaching a predicted value of $20 billion by 2032. The top trends in advanced military power supplies include:
From autonomous and robotic vehicles to sustainability, stealth, and superior power supplies, the military vehicle industry is seeing phenomenal growth and innovation.
Attentive industry observers will see today’s emerging trends become established norms of defense technology. In a complex and contested security landscape, this continued progress in military and defense vehicles is integral to national interests for worldwide peace and stability.