Milrem Robotics Unveils Groundbreaking THeMIS UGV for Spanish Armed Forces
The forefront European robotics and autonomous systems innovator, Milrem Robotics, has supplied the inaugural THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle to the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry, via the Directorate of Armament and Material, granted the contract for one THeMIS UGV to A.Paukner, S.A., the representative of Milrem Robotics in Spain.
The THeMIS was procured as part of the Scorpion initiative, initiated in early 2021, aimed at assessing the capabilities of current unmanned ground vehicles. In the initial phase of this program, a roster of missions will be outlined that can benefit from employing unmanned ground systems.
“The THeMIS has already established its reliability with 12 nations, seven of which are NATO members, as a dependable, resilient, and adaptable system. We are pleased that Spain has come on board as the 13th user of THeMIS and has selected Milrem Robotics as a collaborator to enhance their robotic and autonomous systems proficiency,” remarked Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.
“A.Paukner, S.A. is honored to be the first provider of a UGV platform to the Spanish MoD as part of the ambitious ‘Escorpion program’ dedicated to the assessment and testing of these unmanned ground systems,” stated G. Ingo Paukner, CEO of A.Paukner, S.A.
“The THeMIS UGV is a highly robust, flexible, and swiftly deployable multi-role platform (which can also be rapidly adapted for disaster response and firefighting operations, if necessary) to be integrated with forefront Spanish industrial solutions. This integration of technologies results in a strong product and provides fresh capabilities to the Spanish Army, which may also foster collaborative business prospects with allied Armed Forces. The dedication and support from Milrem Robotics for this venture have been exceptional. We appreciate this backing as well as the Ministry of Defence’s confidence in our company and its unmanned systems offerings,” added G. Ingo Paukner.
“THeMIS delivers a sturdy robotic platform that is prepared to be outfitted with a variety of payloads to enhance experimentation and other R&D endeavors, ensuring a dependable and well-established solution,” said a representative from the Spanish MoD’s program.
The THeMIS UGV is a multi-mission adaptable system designed to aid dismounted troops, functioning as a mule for carrying a squad’s equipment or being swiftly transformed into a weaponized remotely operated unit for force protection.
It is the inaugural system of its size category deployed to a conflict zone during the anti-insurgency mission Barkhane in Mali. Throughout the deployment, the THeMIS covered 1200 km in one of the globe’s most challenging terrains with lava rock soil and climates reaching temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius in the shade. The UGV was functional for over 330 hours.
Milrem Robotics stands as the leading European innovator in robotics and autonomous systems and system integration. The company is acclaimed for its THeMIS and Multiscope Unmanned Ground Vehicles, as well as the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle. The THeMIS assists dismounted troops while the Multiscope is geared towards civilian applications such as forestry and firefighting. The Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle acts as a wingman for mechanized units.
Milrem Robotics leads a consortium that received €30.6M from the European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Program (EDIDP) to devise a standardized European unmanned ground system (UGS). In this project, named iMUGS, a modular and scalable framework for hybrid manned-unmanned systems will be developed to standardize a comprehensive European ecosystem.
