Milrem Robotics, a European robotics and autonomous systems developer, has revealed its latest combat technology – an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) combining its THeMIS platform with Leonardo's HITROLE Light Remote Weapon Station (RWS).
This partnership enhances force protection, increases operational range, and leverages artificial intelligence for many mission-critical tasks.
The THeMIS Combat UGV is designed to provide direct fire support for manoeuvre units, effectively acting as a force multiplier. Teamed with the HITROLE Light RWS, which can be armed with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, and is supported by AI functions for target acquisition, recognition prioritisation, and tracking, this duo can tackle a range of multi-role tasks.
These tasks encompass surveillance, patrolling, border security, counter-sniper operations, and asymmetric missions. Importantly, human operators retain control over target engagement.
One of the advantages of the THeMIS Combat UGV is its ability to bolster force protection and extend the operational range. It empowers operators to use the weapon system while maintaining a protected position and conducting round-the-clock observation.
According to GlobalData's "The Global Military Unmanned Ground Vehicle Market 2022-2032" report, the global market for combat UGVs is valued at $223m in 2022 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 5.0% over the forecast period to reach $363m by 2032.
Leonardo's HITROLE Light RWS, a multi-role ultra-lightweight turret, has already demonstrated its effectiveness with more than 300 units in service worldwide. The collaboration between Milrem Robotics and Leonardo marks a step forward in developing capable robotic combat systems. The result attempts to promise enhanced warfighting capabilities and improve troop safety.
Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, emphasised the significance of this partnership, stating, "The THeMIS has proven to be the most popular and suitable robotic mobility platform for RWS integrations. Our cooperation with Leonardo and the integration of HITROLE represent the next crucial steps in this journey.
Together with Leonardo, we can offer a highly capable robotic combat system to the Italian Army and customers worldwide. This will significantly enhance warfighting capabilities and, even more importantly, contribute to troop safety."
The THeMIS UGV is an unmanned system with various configurations used in robotics programmes across 16 countries globally, including eight NATO member nations. Some examples include the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Thailand taking the delivery of the THeMIS Combat Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) from Milrem Robotics.
Milrem Robotics has offices in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
MilRem Robotics is an Estonian defence firm specialising in robotics and UGV development and has become a dominant force in the global UGV market. MilRem Robotics has garnered attention and investment from the global defence market, with German armoured vehicle manufacturer KMW having acquired a 24.9% stake in the company, according to GlobalData's "Thematic Intelligence: Unmanned Ground Vehicles 2023" report.
United Arab Emirates state-owned EDGE Group also acquired a majority controlling share in Milrem Robotics.
