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On July 10, 2024, the U.S. Army took a leap into the future of combat engineering during the Sandhills Project 3.0 exercise at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Designed as an innovation experiment, this project brought together cutting-edge robotics and drone systems to explore how autonomous technologies can transform large-scale combat operations, particularly breaching operations — some of the riskiest missions in warfare.
According to Wilkens, one of the key coordinators behind Sandhills Project 3.0, “The goal is to provide a capability to the XVIII Airborne Corps to conduct unmanned breaching and remove sappers from the breach—to be able to trade robots for sappers.” In military terms, sappers are highly trained combat engineers who specialize in clearing obstacles, breaching minefields, and constructing or demolishing fortifications under direct enemy fire. These operations are some of the most dangerous tasks on the battlefield, often performed manually with limited protection.
The concept of “trading robots for sappers” envisions a future where autonomous or remotely operated systems take over these high-risk breaching roles. Instead of sending soldiers into hostile zones to detect, defuse, or remove landmines, IEDs, and physical barriers, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones can carry out these tasks with precision and minimal human exposure. This not only enhances mission success rates but also significantly reduces casualties by keeping personnel at a safe distance from explosive threats and enemy fire. The Sandhills Project 3.0 is a critical step in validating this concept under real-world operational conditions.
Demonstrations and Technical Innovation
During Sandhills Project 3.0, field demonstrations were conducted by civilian mechanical engineering firms in partnership with Army personnel, specifically the 264th Clearing Company of the 20th Engineer Brigade (EB). Soldiers witnessed and interacted with an array of robotic systems capable of autonomously detecting and neutralizing threats in complex combat environments.
The Sandhills Project 3.0 was not just a single demonstration but part of a two-pronged innovation push aimed at evaluating both ground and aerial autonomous systems:
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Ground-Based Robotic Systems: These include autonomous breaching vehicles and unmanned ground platforms capable of operating in cluttered, high-threat environments to neutralize explosives and create safe passages. These systems replicate the work of human sappers without the need for direct exposure.
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Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS): Drones equipped with GPR and multispectral sensors were used to map terrain, identify threats from above, and guide ground systems. These aerial assets work in tandem with ground robots, forming a coordinated manned-unmanned team for obstacle clearance.
Private First Class Shakir Wali, a horizontal construction engineer, praised the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the project. “My favorite aspect of the Sandhills Project 3.0 was the drones,” he said. “They are quicker and more efficient than older tools to clear obstacles, keeping Soldiers out of danger which will prevent injury and maintain manpower.”
This sentiment reflects a growing recognition within the Army of the operational value that autonomous technologies bring to the battlefield.“With the ability to fly these drones remotely, we remove the warfighter from the threats and danger in the field,” said James Reimer, a mechanical engineer with the lab. “We eliminate the command loop for danger while detecting hazardous explosives much faster remotely than the current technology out there today.
Key Technologies Tested
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Drone
A standout capability tested during the exercise was the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Drone, developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This drone is equipped with advanced subsurface scanning capabilities that allow remote operators to detect buried explosives and landmines from a safe distance. This cutting-edge unmanned aerial system integrates LiDAR, thermal imaging, and ground-penetrating radar, enabling it to detect buried explosives such as landmines and IEDs with unprecedented accuracy. Operated remotely and linked via secure satellite communications, the drone transmits real-time data to operators stationed at safe distances. According to LLNL mechanical engineer James Reimer, “We eliminate the command loop for danger while detecting explosives faster than current tech.” This breakthrough significantly reduces the risk to combat engineers while accelerating detection times on the battlefield.
Retrofit Robotic Platforms
Another key innovation involved the modernization of legacy military vehicles like the M113 armored personnel carrier. Retrofitted with autonomy kits, the M113 now functions as a carrier for the M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC). For a modest upgrade cost—approximately $50,000—the vehicle can autonomously navigate to minefields and deploy a 100-meter explosive line charge to clear obstacles. Also featured were General Dynamics’ Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) unmanned ground vehicles. In Phase 2.0 of the project, S-METs were enhanced with roller trawls and crane arms to breach minefields and remove wire barriers. These adaptable platforms exemplify cost-effective modernization for combat engineering roles.
Swarm Drone Technology
Sandhills Project 3.0 also tested a new class of swarm-enabled aerial combat tools. A wheeled UGV was modified to act as a mobile launchpad for over 20 quadcopters, each fitted with small explosive payloads. These drones were deployed in coordinated operations to identify, target, and neutralize mines while simultaneously conducting overhead reconnaissance. Although the swarm function was semi-automated in this phase, future development will focus on full AI-driven coordination to enable autonomous swarm targeting and dynamic re-tasking in the field.
Operational Workflow: From Detection to Breach
The operational workflow tested during the exercise demonstrates a transformative approach to modern breaching operations. First, GPR-equipped drones are launched to map out obstacle belts and pinpoint mine clusters from the air. Once threats are located, retrofitted UGVs such as the M113 MICLIC or Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV) autonomously deploy explosive line charges or trawl systems to create clear lanes. Follow-up reconnaissance drones then fly in to verify the effectiveness of the breach, confirming safe paths for infantry movement. This end-to-end, semi-autonomous process reduces the need for human involvement to supervisory roles and has been shown to cut breaching times by up to 70% compared to traditional methods.
Partnerships and Innovation
The success of Sandhills Project 3.0 is grounded in robust collaboration between the U.S. Army and private industry. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provided advanced sensor packages and AI-powered threat detection systems, enabling the rapid identification of hidden explosives. Hermes Robotics adapted commercial automation technologies—originally designed for industrial applications like parking-lot maintenance—for military use in rugged terrain. General Dynamics contributed their proven S-MET UGVs, which served as versatile platforms for modular payloads, including cranes, trawls, and launch mechanisms. These partnerships exemplify how defense innovation can be accelerated by leveraging commercial ingenuity and dual-use technologies.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
While the demonstrations were largely successful, several operational challenges emerged. Signal jamming in contested environments disrupted communications between operators and UGVs, underscoring the need for hardened, resilient communication systems. Additionally, mechanical failures in uncrewed vehicles highlighted the importance of integrating onboard diagnostics to detect and report faults in real time. Bureaucratic inertia also emerged as a limiting factor—procurement cycles and approval timelines often lag behind the rapid pace of technological innovation, delaying field deployment of proven solutions.
Path Forward: Building the Future Force
Sandhills Project 3.0 aligns directly with the U.S. Army’s Army 2030 vision, which prioritizes robotics and unmanned systems for multi-domain operations.
The real-time testing and feedback loop provided by exercises like Sandhills Project 3.0 are crucial for shaping the future combat force. By allowing military personnel to work directly with tech innovators, the Army ensures that the equipment being developed is battle-relevant, soldier-informed, and tactically sound.
With the U.S. Army committed to Army 2030 objectives, the integration of robotic breaching solutions directly supports efforts to increase lethality, mobility, and survivability on tomorrow’s battlefields. As unmanned systems grow more sophisticated, exercises like Sandhills Project 3.0 offer a glimpse into a future where robots lead the charge — and save lives in the process
By removing human sappers from high-risk zones—commonly referred to as “kill zones”—the project significantly reduces the risk of casualties during breaching missions. Retrofitting legacy vehicles like the M113 for autonomous breaching roles offers a scalable and cost-efficient path forward, with each unit costing approximately $300,000—a fraction of what a new vehicle would cost. The integration of swarm-capable drones and modular UGVs also introduces unprecedented flexibility, allowing forces to adapt to rapidly evolving battlefield threats across diverse environments, from dense urban centers to expansive open fields.
With its multi-domain integration of drones, UGVs, AI-based threat detection, and real-time feedback loops from operational units, the Sandhills initiative is setting the foundation for next-generation combat engineering. It exemplifies a force that is agile, lethal, and protected by design.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
Sandhills Project 3.0 is more than an experiment—it’s a demonstration of how the Army envisions the future of combat engineering. The project’s next phases will prioritize AI-driven drone swarms capable of collaborative mapping and neutralization of threats, deeper machine learning integration for autonomous decision-making, and enhanced interoperability with next-generation platforms like the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV). As adversaries develop more complex and lethal obstacle belts, programs like Sandhills ensure the U.S. military retains technological superiority—showing that the battlefield of tomorrow will be led by machines designed not only to win, but to protect.
