Overland AI unveils IBEX for Marine Corps MADIS

Overland AI unveiled IBEX on Oct. 7, saying the fully autonomous ground vehicle was selected by the U.S. Marine Corps for integration into the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS). Defense Daily later reported that IBEX is the latest autonomous ground vehicle for the Marine Corps MADIS program, and that it is the first AGV built under a production contract. The company says the vehicle is now mission-ready and already moving into production for military customers.

What is IBEX built to do?

IBEX is designed to move supplies, support air defense and handle other high-risk battlefield tasks without a human driver in the vehicle. Overland AI said its autonomous ground vehicles are intended to operate in denied, degraded, intermittent and limited environments, or DDIL conditions, where GPS, communications or other support may be unavailable. The company also said IBEX has already been used on missions involving resupply, counter-UAS, breaching and electronic warfare.

Overland AI said IBEX carries a 2,000-pound payload, can exceed 35 mph in full autonomy, has a 250-mile cruising range at 20 mph on a single tank of diesel or JP-8, and provides 5 kW of export power for onboard systems. The company describes each AGV as a power, communications and compute node for forward operations, and said scaled deployment would create a distributed forward network of energy, connectivity and processing.

Why does the Marine Corps want it?

According to Defense Daily, the Marine Corps will use IBEX in an unmanned version of MADIS for counter-drone and short-range air defense capabilities. GeekWire reported that the service selected the vehicle for counter-drone air-defense operations and other high-risk missions including resupply, breaching and electronic warfare.

Overland AI said the APFIT production award was made through a production Other Transaction Authority agreement with the Marine Corps' Program Manager Ground Based Air Defense to produce autonomous ground vehicles supporting MADIS. The company framed the award as a step toward integrating fully autonomous ground vehicles at scale in Marine Corps programs of record. Marine Corps PM Ground Based Air Defense Joe Klocek said in an earlier company announcement that pairing Overland AI platforms with MADIS would extend the reach and lethality of air defense units.

How does IBEX fit the military's existing vehicle fleet?

IBEX is built on the Polaris MRZR platform, and Overland AI said it uses the in-service vehicle’s chassis, engine and drivetrain with the company’s autonomy system added for military use. Automotive World reported that common parts and fuel compliance with the MRZR should help sustain the vehicle through existing supply chains. Overland AI also said IBEX is designed to be transported by V-22 aircraft.

The company said the vehicle runs on its OverDrive software stack, OverWatch user interface and SPARK hardware infrastructure to maneuver independently. GeekWire reported that OverDrive uses real-time terrain perception and adaptive route planning to navigate off-road without GPS or pre-mapped routes, while OverWatch lets operators control multiple uncrewed vehicles simultaneously.

What happens next for Overland AI?

Defense Daily reported that Marine Corps deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027, while Axios said two IBEX prototypes were undergoing daily testing in central Washington and that production was expected later in 2026, subject to refinements. Axios also reported that more than a dozen AGVs were on order through the nearly $20 million APFIT contract, and that a separate $4.5 million add-on brought in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. GeekWire later reported the APFIT production contract expanded to $25 million with added funding for the Ranger Regiment.

Overland AI, founded in 2022 as a University of Washington spinout, said it has raised more than $140 million in venture funding to date and opened a 22,000-square-foot Seattle production facility in 2025. GeekWire reported the company raised $100 million in Series B funding earlier in 2026, established a Burlingame, California engineering outpost in summer 2026 and is scaling production at its Seattle manufacturing facility as demand for autonomous ground systems grows. The same report said Overland AI ranks No. 7 on the GeekWire 200 startup list.