Overland AI Debuts Ibex, an Autonomous Military Vehicle Built on Polaris MRZR Bones

Overland AI has taken the wraps off Ibex, a fully self-driving ground vehicle aimed squarely at the US military. Rather than engineering everything from scratch, the company leaned on hardware that troops already know well: the chassis, engine and drivetrain of the Polaris MRZR, a light tactical vehicle already in service. That decision appears to have paid off quickly, as the US Marine Corps has already selected Ibex for integration into its Marine Air Defense Integrated System, a counter-drone capability.

According to Overland AI, Ibex represents the first production contract secured by a ground autonomy specialist for the US armed forces. The vehicle can haul 2,000 pounds (907kg), travels autonomously at speeds above 35mph, and manages roughly 250 miles (402km) on a single tank when cruising at 20mph. It runs on diesel or JP-8, the standard military fuel, which keeps logistics simple. Because it shares so many components and the same fuel with the MRZR, units can keep Ibex running through supply chains they already operate, and the vehicle is small enough to be loaded inside a V-22 tiltrotor aircraft.

What sets Ibex apart from remote-controlled platforms is its independence. There is no teleoperation or joystick oversight; the vehicle relies on Overland AI’s OverDrive software to navigate demanding terrain even when communications links are degraded. That matters in environments where signals are contested or unreliable, since a vehicle that needs a constant human tether becomes a liability rather than an asset.

The machine also carries 5kW of export power, and Overland AI is positioning each unit as more than just transport. The pitch is that Ibex can act as a power, communications and computing node near the front line, effectively becoming a piece of mobile infrastructure. The company notes that its autonomy stack has already been used in resupply, counter-drone, breaching and electronic warfare missions alongside the Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command.

Greg Okopal, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Overland AI, framed the project as one shaped by the people who will use it. He said the company takes pride in developing technology informed directly by the warfighter, adding that Ibex was built on the MRZR’s proven chassis, engine and drivetrain so it can be deployed immediately and maintained with parts and fuel that units already hold. The broader signal here is that defense buyers seem to be gravitating toward autonomy that slots into existing fleets and supply chains rather than demanding entirely new ecosystems.