United States special operations forces will begin testing the CODiAQ, an armed quadruped robot developed for combat missions in contested environments and high-risk operations.
According to the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi, the system received security authorization from the U.S. Department of Defense to move forward into operational evaluations and combat testing alongside the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Developed by the Australian company Skyborne Technologies, the Controller Operated Direct Action Quadruped (CODiAQ) uses the Vision 60 platform from Ghost Robotics, combined with AI-assisted targeting systems and interchangeable weapon modules.
According to information released by the company, the equipment will be able to use 40 mm grenade launchers and 12-gauge shotguns, in addition to night vision sensors and autonomous navigation systems.
The contract, valued at US$ 6.5 million, includes the delivery of 14 quadruped robots and 28 weapon modules for military evaluations. Live-fire tests are scheduled for October 2026 and will involve American tactical operators as well as an unidentified foreign ally.
The goal is to evaluate the system’s performance in close-combat scenarios, building assaults, and environments considered dangerous for human troops.
The advancement of the program comes amid growing military interest in armed ground robots and autonomous systems following lessons learned during the war in Ukraine, where unmanned aerial and ground equipment proved extremely valuable in modern combat scenarios.
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Photo: Skyborne. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
