U.S. Army to test Hunter WOLF robot with 82nd Airborne

The U.S. Army will evaluate the Hunter WOLF unmanned ground vehicle with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana, on August 20, the vehicle’s manufacturer, BLADE, formerly known as HDT, announced Monday.

The event is a Transition in Contact exercise, in which soldiers operate a system in realistic field conditions to test how it fits their specific mission set. Configurations for the 82nd Airborne evaluation include two vehicle-mounted tactical radios, autonomy features, five universal battery chargers, a casualty evacuation kit, a 15-kilowatt mobile power export system and extended cargo rails for equipment transport.

The Hunter WOLF is a six-wheeled, diesel-electric hybrid unmanned ground vehicle that has been in service since 2017, with upgrades made in 2025. It can carry up to 2,800 pounds (1,270 kilograms), climb 60-degree grades and travel more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) off-road without refueling. The vehicle has been certified for transport aboard the V-22 Osprey, C-130, C-17 and C-5 aircraft.

“No two Army units operate the same way,” said Tom Van Doren, president of robotics at BLADE. “The value of these evaluations is seeing how the Hunter WOLF supports different mission sets, environments, and operational priorities. Every event helps validate the flexibility of the platform and identify new ways it can reduce workload and help keep soldiers out of harm’s way.”

“The 82nd Airborne brings a unique operational perspective centered on agility, mobility, and rapid deployment,” said John Conway, vice president of business development for robotics at BLADE. “Training units like this help demonstrate how the Hunter WOLF can integrate into light/mobile infantry operations while delivering the support soldiers need to stay focused on the warfighting mission.”

The 82nd Airborne Division is known as the Army’s rapid-response “All-American” Division, capable of deploying worldwide within 18 hours for parachute assault and other operations.

BLADE has run similar Hunter WOLF training events with other Army units this year, including the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, at Fort Polk in May, and the 101st Airborne Division. The company has said the Hunter WOLF has supported the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Australian Defence Forces and Ukrainian Army, and has been tested in more than 60 field exercises.

BLADE was also selected earlier this month as one of five industry partners for the Army’s Project Sustainment initiative, a separate program focused on automating contested-environment resupply using the company’s Dire WOLF unmanned ground vehicle. The company has not disclosed how many Hunter WOLF units are involved in the August 20 evaluation or whether the event will lead to a formal procurement decision.