Phantom robot – Footage by Frontier Future IndustriesPhantom is being developed for both the production line and the frontline.Autonomous fighting robots are one of the most controversial technological developments on Earth.From the Catholic Church to the United Nations, many are mobilizing against ‘killing robots.’The problem, of course, is that other nations are pursuing this development as much as the US does – or more.Enter Foundation Future Industries, a startup racing to create ‘humanoid robots that will automate factory work, build futuristic mega-cities, and, most strikingly, wage the wars of tomorrow’.The Independent reported:“The autonomous arms race between the West and its adversaries is already here — the drone battlefields of Ukraine and Iran offer a live preview. […] U.S. adversaries like China and Russia are pursuing military humanoids and other similar concepts, such as four-legged robot ‘dogs’ with weapons mounted on their backs, so America needs the ability to match them.”The Phantom MK1 is the first US humanoid robot built explicitly for combat.$150k per unit. Ballistic armor.Stealth coating that hides it from thermal sensors.Can carry 20kg of weapons or equipment.Reports claim two units are already being tested on the frontlines in… https://t.co/Mv1e5jth56 pic.twitter.com/DY5Gwq4N2j— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 15, 2026Foundation co-founder Sankaet Pathak says the company is in conversations with the Department of Homeland Security to deploy its robots to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.“The company’s core offering is Phantom, a sleek, all-black, roughly six-foot tall humanoid robot that can carry nearly 90 pounds. It perceives the world through AI and a camera array mounted on its head, which gathers data from a full 360-degree field of vision.The robot can operate using embedded AI or be piloted remotely by a human. A more powerful, second-generation Phantom model is under development and will be unveiled later this year.”Foundation Robotics has started testing its humanoid robot, Phantom MK1, for defense and other dangerous jobs.The robot can be remotely controlled by a human operator to perform high-risk tasks.It also supports advanced autonomy, but humans always make the final decisions. pic.twitter.com/u08zIuviJA— Space and Technology (@spaceandtech_) July 7, 2026Built for real work.Foundation’s Phantom MK-1 humanoid targets factories and high-risk zones.via @IntEngineering#PhantomMK1 RT! pic.twitter.com/hTXcClrwTb— Andres Vilariño (@andresvilarino) July 26, 2026Read more:‘UNACCEPTABLE RISKS’: Trump Bans Import of Chinese Humanoid Robots Over National Security Concerns/*! This file is auto-generated */!function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i