Spain’s military receives ground robot combat vehicles for testing and evaluation

Europe, News August 11, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The Spanish military received the first delivery of the Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) from Estonia’s Milrem Robotics.

The integration of unmanned vehicle technology aims to improve the combat and logistics operations of the Spanish armed forces. Estonia’s Milrem Robotics is one of the leading European companies working in the field of UGV technology.

One unit of THeMIS UGV has been sent to the Spanish army for testing and evaluation under the Scorpion program which was launched last year for evaluation of new and mainly unmanned combat technologies and integration into military operations.

Several of the NATO member countries are already using Milrem’s THeMIS UGV. The list also includes Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Inclusion of THeMIS UGV into the Spanish army would increase overall interoperability between the NATO forces.

Milrem Robotics CEO Kuldar Väärsi said that “The THeMIS has already proven itself to 12 countries, seven of which are members of Nato, as a capable, robust and versatile system. We are glad that Spain has joined as the 13th user of THeMIS and chosen Milrem Robotics as a partner to build their robotic and autonomous system capabilities.”

*^{THeMIS Combat Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). (Image Credit: Milrem Robotics/videograb IRIA)}*

The 94 inches long and 79 inches wide THeMIS UGV is 45 inches in height and comes in four different variants for different operational needs.

– Combat and attack operation

– Logistics and munition delivery

– Intelligence gathering and surveillance

– Bomb and hazardous material disposal

The UGV weighs 1,200 kilograms and it can be equipped with light or heavy machine guns, a 40 mm grenade launcher as well as an anti-tank missile system. It can be operated from a range of 1.5 kilometers and it moves at a maximum speed of 20 km/h.

Milrem Robotics is expanding its operation in Europe since 2020. It is one of the leading companies in the iMUGS Consortium that is being funded by the European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme and focuses on developing unmanned ground systems for European armies.

Milrem Robotics is currently working on its Type-X robotic combat vehicle. Type-X would be a bigger, faster, and more maneuverable version of the company’s flagship THeMIS UGV.

Milrem Robotics' Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicles — *^{Milrem Robotics’ Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle. (Image Credit: Milrem Robotics)}*

The French army deployed Milrem’s robots in the hard desert conditions at Barkhane, Mali. The unmanned combat vehicles played a significant role with substantial success at the front lines of counter-terrorism operations along with the deployed forces.