Drone-Killer Turret Unleashed on Truck

Soldiers in camouflage gear with rifles in a sandy terrain — Photo: Getmilitaryphotos / Shutterstock

A self-driving Army pickup with a shotgun turret shot down drones during a live-fire test at Fort Bragg.

Story Highlights

Army tested a semi-autonomous Ford F-250 with a drone-killing turret at Fort Bragg.
The system aims to protect troops during dangerous obstacle-breaching missions.
Images show the Edda turret engaging a small drone during Project Sandhills 2.0.
Army plans further assessment at the National Training Center this fall.

Army Demo: Self-Driving F-250 With Drone Defense

U.S. Army engineers ran a Ford F-250 fitted with autonomy software and a counter-drone turret through live-fire testing on August 18, 2026. The event, called Project Sandhills 2.0, took place at Range 63 on Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Army photos identify the truck’s autonomy stack as Forterra’s AutoDrive and the turret as the Edda point-defense system built by 9 Mothers. The package is designed to defeat small drones that threaten troops during breaching tasks.

Additional Army imagery shows the Edda turret mounted on the semi-autonomous F-250 engaging a small drone target during the same exercise. A caption describes a Bumblebee V2 drone falling after the turret fires, confirming the counter-drone role in the test sequence. These images provide direct evidence that the truck and turret were used in a live scenario, not a showroom mock-up, during Sandhills 2.0 at Fort Bragg.

What Sandhills 2.0 Tries To Solve On Today’s Battlefield

Commanders face swarms of cheap enemy drones and thick mine belts that slow attacks. The Army’s answer pairs autonomous breaching with close drone defense to keep soldiers farther from danger. Defense reporting says the Sandhills 2.0 fleet includes four Ford F-250 trucks running Forterra’s data fabric and AutoDrive software, with two trucks carrying the Edda kinetic counter-drone system. The remote turret uses sensors to track threats and a human to authorize shots.

Trade press summaries add that the computer-controlled turret fires a shotgun-style effector to hit fast, low drones at short ranges while the vehicle tackles obstacle tasks. The point-defense idea fits a layered defense model often cited in counter-drone doctrine: detect, identify, decide, and defeat. By tying detection and defeat to an autonomous breacher, the Army aims to guard critical engineering assets at the front of the fight, where drones often strike.

Why This Matters For Troop Safety And Taxpayers

Front-line breaching is one of the riskiest jobs in war. Autonomous trucks that carry line charges or clear lanes can save American lives. Adding a drone shield on top helps stop quadcopters that drop munitions on exposed engineers. A vendor release says Sandhills 2.0 delivers integrated autonomous mission systems on Ford F-250s to handle zone-clearing and line-charge deployments while fusing partner tech for threat identification and defeat. That points to a practical, plug-in approach.

The U.S. Army tested a semi-autonomous Ford F-250 equipped with the Edda counter-drone turret during Project Sandhills 2.0 at Fort Bragg on August 18.

The vehicle combines Forterra’s AutoDrive autonomy system with the Edda turret from 9 Mothers. The system is intended to… pic.twitter.com/zdFBWLCno0

— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) August 23, 2026

An industry report says the Army will continue assessments of the semi-autonomous breaching and drone-defense truck at the National Training Center in California this fall. Moving from a range demo to a harsh desert rotation is a key step. It tests reliability, ease of use, and sustainment under stress. Results from that event will shape next buys, training plans, and how fast the Army fields this to line units that need protection now.

How The System Works On The Truck

Forterra’s AutoDrive handles the driving tasks the commander assigns, such as following routes, avoiding obstacles, and holding positions while engineers work nearby. The Edda turret sits on the truck bed and uses acoustic and visual tracking to follow a drone. A human operator authorizes the shot to stay within rules of engagement. Army captions confirm the sensor tracking and human-in-the-loop fire control used during Sandhills 2.0 testing at Fort Bragg.

Janes reporting ties the setup together across the four-truck team. Two trucks focus on breaching tasks, and two add kinetic counter-drone punch. That mix supports the broader shift toward modular autonomy, where the Army can add or remove payloads for the mission. It also supports a layered counter-drone scheme. Short-range turrets on vehicles cover the last fifty to one hundred meters while other sensors and weapons handle farther threats.

Bottom Line For Conservative Readers

The Army is using simple, proven platforms and adding smart tools to protect American troops. A pickup truck that drives itself into danger and shoots down drones means fewer soldiers in the blast zone and fewer tax dollars lost to damaged gear. Photos and reporting show real shots, real drones, and a clear plan to keep testing in tougher conditions. That is how you innovate while guarding lives and stewardship of public funds.