Kodiak Appoints Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Richard 'Ross' Coffman as Strategic Advisor and Taps Him to Establish and Lead its New Defense Advisory Council

Associated Press

26-02-2025

The retired three-star general most recently led the Army's ground autonomy efforts while serving as Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Futures Command
Kodiak's Defense Advisory Council will bolster the company's commitment to the deployment of autonomous vehicle technology for national defense
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading autonomous technology developer focused on the trucking and defense industries, today announced that retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Richard 'Ross' Coffman has joined Kodiak as a strategic advisor. In his position at Kodiak, Coffman will advise the company on how to commercialize and deploy its technology for national security. Coffman will also establish and chair Kodiak's new Defense Advisory Council.
Coffman, a retired three-star general, previously served as Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Futures Command (AFC), AFC's second-highest-ranking officer. In that role, Coffman oversaw the modernization of the U.S. Army with an emphasis on ground robotics. Prior to this role he was Director of AFC's Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team, where he stood up the Army's ground autonomy initiatives. Prior to his role in AFC's Next Generation Combat Vehicle program, Coffman served as the Deputy Commanding General for Maneuver in the 1st Infantry Division with duty in Eastern Europe. In this role he assisted the commanding general with assessing and integrating next generation technologies to combat emerging threats.
'Lt. General Coffman's deep experience in guiding the adoption and deployment of autonomous technologies within the Department of Defense gives him a unique perspective on how to deploy these technologies for the benefits of service members,' said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. 'His unparalleled expertise made him a sought-after asset who could have worked anywhere in the autonomous driving industry, and we're honored that he chose Kodiak.'
Kodiak is launching its Defense Advisory Council to help shape strategy and deployment of Kodiak's technology with the United States Department of Defense. The Kodiak Defense Advisory Council will be built on the successful model of its Industry Advisory Council, which was launched in early 2024 to help shape the company's trucking product development, deployment, and public engagement. Coffman will help Kodiak build and expand the Council moving forward.
'Kodiak has proven its ability to leverage its commercial technologies to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our men and women in uniform,' said Coffman. 'Kodiak is a leader in the autonomy industry, and I look forward to working with Kodiak on our shared mission to save American lives by fielding these technologies on the battlefield.'
Kodiak is working with the U.S. Department of Defense to help automate future U.S. Army ground vehicles led by the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program. Kodiak built an offroad-capable autonomy system leveraging millions of miles of driving experience to build a prototype autonomous vehicle designed specifically for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Additionally, Kodiak collaborated with Textron Systems Corporation to integrate the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak's self-driving system, into Textron's Systems' RIPSAW® M3 vehicle. This RIPSAW® M3 is the first Kodiak Driver-equipped vehicle without room for a human. This vehicle is completed and Kodiak and Textron Systems are jointly exploring future opportunities with both the U.S. Department of Defense and the militaries of allied nations as they look to accelerate automation into military ground vehicles.
About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.
Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become a leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for driverless trucking applications. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the southern United States using its autonomous technology. In 2024 Kodiak became the first known company ever to deliver a driverless semi-truck to a customer. Kodiak is also leveraging its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can find the company press kit HERE.