Estonian defense company Milrem unveiled the prototype of what they call the first hybrid unmanned multi-mission tracked vehicle in the world at this year’s leading defense and security event DSEI, which will be held in London, UK, from 15-18 September.
The unmanned vehicle developed by Milrem is intended to assist or take the place of humans in life-threatening situations such as war, crisis situations, high risk working environments as well as places that are difficult to access. Compared to other UGV platforms, according to the company, the innovation behind Milrem’s UGV lies in the track system where all the necessary components are placed inside the track system, leaving the middle platform free for different applications. This enables using the platform for multi-mission superstructures.
Weighing only 750kg with a payload of 500kg, the UGV can be used as a remote weapon station, remote observation and sensor vehicle, transport platform for the wounded and many other functions that can pass through any terrain imaginable, be it snow, sand or swamp. The vehicle will be developed to be operated remotely or autonomously.
“Most of the unmanned solutions created so far are intended to perform one specific task, i.e. small bomb robots," Kuldar Vaarsi, CEO of Milrem, said. "The UGV concept that Milrem has developed is universal and will effectively supplement defence capabilities on a battalion level. Unmanned ground vehicles will be a big part of the modernization of military capabilities in the next 5 to 10 years.”
The UGV has been developed in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Defense and the Estonian Defence Forces. Milrem is also cooperating with different universities and companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, including Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonian National Defense College and Lithuanian Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. Milrem is a member of the Estonian Defense Industry Association
Milrem's unmanned multi-mission tracked vehicle prototype. |
The unmanned vehicle developed by Milrem is intended to assist or take the place of humans in life-threatening situations such as war, crisis situations, high risk working environments as well as places that are difficult to access. Compared to other UGV platforms, according to the company, the innovation behind Milrem’s UGV lies in the track system where all the necessary components are placed inside the track system, leaving the middle platform free for different applications. This enables using the platform for multi-mission superstructures.
Weighing only 750kg with a payload of 500kg, the UGV can be used as a remote weapon station, remote observation and sensor vehicle, transport platform for the wounded and many other functions that can pass through any terrain imaginable, be it snow, sand or swamp. The vehicle will be developed to be operated remotely or autonomously.
“Most of the unmanned solutions created so far are intended to perform one specific task, i.e. small bomb robots," Kuldar Vaarsi, CEO of Milrem, said. "The UGV concept that Milrem has developed is universal and will effectively supplement defence capabilities on a battalion level. Unmanned ground vehicles will be a big part of the modernization of military capabilities in the next 5 to 10 years.”
The UGV has been developed in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Defense and the Estonian Defence Forces. Milrem is also cooperating with different universities and companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, including Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonian National Defense College and Lithuanian Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. Milrem is a member of the Estonian Defense Industry Association