In late November, Milrem Robotics, a company specializing in robotics and autonomous systems, announced the signing of a contract with German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) to deliver 14 THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to Ukraine. The German Ministry of Defense will provide the financing.

Of the 14 vehicles, seven will be configured for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and are expected to be delivered by the end of the year. The remaining seven, ROCUSs, to be delivered in the second quarter of 2023, will be configured for opening booby-trapped routes.

The THeMIS UGV

THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System) is an unmanned tracked vehicle powered by a hybrid system, consisting of a diesel engine and an electric motor. It weighs 1,450 kilos, is 2.40 m long and 2 m wide, and has a range of 10 hours in hybrid mode and up to 1.5 hours in electric mode. It can transport up to 825 kilos. Its AI system allows it to carry out complex missions in difficult terrain, to make decisions and to accomplish tasks without human intervention.

During a demonstration of the robot’s capabilities in 2021, Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, had said:

“Intelligent functions are a critical component of unmanned systems because they allow soldiers to focus on their mission rather than on operating the system.

THeMIS’s open architecture allows it to be quickly configured from a transport function to militarization, munitions neutralization or intelligence operations support depending on the nature of the mission.

THeMIS UGVs have been acquired by 16 countries, eight of which are NATO members: Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2019, the Estonian Defense Forces deployed the THeMIS UGV to Mali for the first time as part of Operation Barkhane.

THeMIS configured for casualty evacuation

Last September, Milrem Robotics delivered a THeMIS CASEVAC, equipped with stretchers, to a Ukrainian charity. The Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) then promised a bounty of nearly 15,000 euros, more than the average annual pay of a Russian soldier for capturing the robot, to copy the technology.

ROCUS to secure routes

According to British intelligence, Russia is using improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, in the conflict with Ukraine. Using ROCUS will allow Ukrainian convoys to travel in a secure environment.

Themis ROCUS (ROute Clearance Unmanned System) has been configured with the anti-IEE system developed by CNIM Systèmes Industriels, a company based in La Seyne/sur/Mer in the Var region of France. This THeMIS is equipped with a four-meter long manipulator arm, which can lift and hold a 100-kilogram load, and can operate day and night. A camera operating in “Bird View” mode allows an operator to control it from a distance of 500 meters.

Jüri Pajuste, Captain and Director of Defense R&D at Milrem Robotics, states:

“Casualty evacuation and route clearance are two labor-intensive activities that require the commitment of multiple personnel who remain under constant threat of enemy fire. Automating these tasks with unmanned vehicles mitigates this danger and allows more soldiers to remain in a safe area or be assigned to more important activities.”

Kuldar Väärsi concludes:

“The deployment of the THEMIS UGV in Ukraine means that Ukrainian forces can increase the safety of their soldiers and let UGVs handle tasks that pose an immediate threat to humans. This is the ultimate goal of robotic systems. Milrem Robotics is proud to be able to contribute to Ukraine’s fight against the aggressor.”

Translated from Robotique : Milrem Robotics va livrer 14 UGV THeMIS à l’Ukraine