Estonian company Milrem Robotics and Singaporean ST Engineering have demonstrated a combat unmanned ground vehicle that can fire beyond the visual line of sight.
The new UGV is armed with a 40-millimetre automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7-millimetre heavy machine gun. The companies demonstrated the UGV during a live fire exercise held in Tapa, Estonia.
The joint warfare system consists of the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle and the ADDER DM Remote Weapon Station and is intended as a force multiplier for dismounted troops that can be utilised in both urban and rural areas, the companies said in a statement.
The combat UGV is a tracked all-terrain system with ground clearance up to 60 centimetres (23.6 inches) that can negotiate 60% slopes and pass 61-centimetre (24-inch) deep water obstacles. Its top speed is 20 kilometres an hour (12 mph) and it’s powered by a diesel-electric drive that, depending on the mission, can offer 15 hours of constant operations without re-fuelling, the companies added.
Well-suited for urban conflict areas
“Our joint combat UGV is one of the first armoured UGVs in the world that’s especially well-suited for urban conflict areas,” Jüri Pajuste, the director of the defence programmes’ department at Milrem Robotics, said.
The combat UGV is configured for wireless control from a distance of 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) and 2,500 metres (1.55 miles) in urban and rural areas, respectively.
The operator can command the system from an ergonomically-designed mobile or stationary crew station that is matched with a graphical user interface for intuitive workflow and task execution. The system significantly decreased the cognitive workload on the operator, reducing operator fatigue and improving combat performance, the companies said.
Milrem Robotics is an Estonian defence solutions provider, with a primary focus on the manufacture of unmanned ground vehicles and development of robotic warfare solutions. ST Engineering (Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd) is an integrated engineering group in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.
Cover: The new UGV by Milrem Robotics and ST Engineering.
