Photo: Milrem
Almost ten months into the war in Ukraine, fighting between the Russian Army and Ukrainian defenders shows no sign of slowing down. Both sides continue to throw impressive amounts of hardware and manpower into it, in a sign that the war will not end any time soon.
Back in September, Estonian defense contractor Milrem announced it too would be joining the war effort with the family of THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), but at the time didn’t go into specifics.
This week, the company announced 14 such robots will be sent to the front lines, in two waves. The first seven of them will be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and they’ll start performing their duties by the end of this year. The remaining seven will get there in the second quarter of the year, equipped with hardware supplied by French defense manufacturer CNIM Systèmes Industriels for use in route clearance.
“The deployment of the THEMIS UGV to Ukraine means that the Ukrainian forces can increase the safety of their soldiers and let the UGVs handle tasks that are an immediate threat to humans,” said in a statement Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.
“That is the ultimate purpose of robotic systems. Milrem Robotics is proud to be able to contribute to Ukraine’s fight against the aggressor.”
The THeMIS range is a family of hybrid diesel-electric UGVs designed to serve a variety of military purposes and capable of carrying up to 750 kg (1,650 pounds) of cargo, from weapons platforms to hardware for ordinance disposal and intelligence operations. We’re not told exactly which versions the Ukrainians will get, nor where on the contact line they will be deployed.
At the time of writing, such robots are in use with 16 countries, half of them NATO members.
This week, the company announced 14 such robots will be sent to the front lines, in two waves. The first seven of them will be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and they’ll start performing their duties by the end of this year. The remaining seven will get there in the second quarter of the year, equipped with hardware supplied by French defense manufacturer CNIM Systèmes Industriels for use in route clearance.
“The deployment of the THEMIS UGV to Ukraine means that the Ukrainian forces can increase the safety of their soldiers and let the UGVs handle tasks that are an immediate threat to humans,” said in a statement Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.
“That is the ultimate purpose of robotic systems. Milrem Robotics is proud to be able to contribute to Ukraine’s fight against the aggressor.”
The THeMIS range is a family of hybrid diesel-electric UGVs designed to serve a variety of military purposes and capable of carrying up to 750 kg (1,650 pounds) of cargo, from weapons platforms to hardware for ordinance disposal and intelligence operations. We’re not told exactly which versions the Ukrainians will get, nor where on the contact line they will be deployed.
At the time of writing, such robots are in use with 16 countries, half of them NATO members.
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