The Pentagon has confirmed a cooperative involvement between driverless technology provider Robotic Research, Verizon Public Sector, and the Marine Corps, stating that the trio will collaborate on a pilot project to explore the use of autonomous shuttles at the Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego. Other companies involved in the experiment include NavalX SoCal Tech Bridge, US Ignite, and Local Motors. The project seeks to determine whether self-driving shuttles would increase efficiency and ease across the base to transport people and packages.

The announcement comes a year after Verizon and MCAS Miramar unveiled plans to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband on a military base for the first time. In the past year, the group has begun to demonstrate 5G-enabled technology and innovations across several different topics, including artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles, and drones. Although this endeavor is new, Robotic Research has been providing the Pentagon with autonomous technology solutions for nearly 20 years.

Read More: Pentagon Experiments with Self-Driving Shuttles at San Diego Military Base