A Milrem Robotics-led team has trialed ground drone capabilities as part of the European Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) program at the Nexter Robotics facility in Versailles, France.
Conducted by the French Armed Forces, the demonstration showcased interoperability between manned units and autonomous systems on tactical missions.
For the trial, three THeMIS ground drones from Milrem were deployed with payloads developed by consortium partners.
Tests included target recognition, autonomous mission planning, cyber threat response, casualty evacuation, and resupply.
“Unmanned systems increase stand-off distance from the enemy and, thanks to various sensors and effectors, provide soldiers the means to gather a higher quantity and much more precise information about their operation area than humans are capable of,” Milrem Robotics CEO and iMUGS Team Lead Kuldar Väärsi said.
“Autonomous unmanned assets are a game changer for armed forces as they allow the allocation of soldiers to more important tasks.”
‘Enhanced Interoperability’
The demonstration builds on a 32.6-million-euro ($34.7 million) EU program to develop a compact, modular architecture for hybrid manned-unmanned systems “to address a large range of missions.”
According to Milrem, the solution is expected to provide “enhanced interoperability, increased situational awareness, and faster decision-making.”
The effort is also expected to provide accessible modernization techniques for drone-integrated technologies such as sensors, payloads, command, control, communication, and algorithms.
Previous trials were held in Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Belgium. The sixth and final demonstration of the system will be held in Germany.
