ARMAMENTS

Estonian and UK firms team up with a solution to counter threats posed by UAVs and loitering munitions.

Kinetic C-UAS capabilities using a UGV platform will be displayed jointly at DSEI 2021 on September 14-17 by UK-based MSI Defence Systems Limited and Milrem Robotics of Estonia.

The two companies are exhibiting a Milrem THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle integrated with remote weapon systems (RWS) and EO sensors from MSI, as what they claim is a step-change in countering mini-UAVs, loitering munitions, or other small difficult-to-detect airborne targets.

The unmanned hard-kill C-UAS systems can carry weapons ranging from a 7.62mm machine gun to a Northrop Grumman M230 30mm chain gun and Thales Lightweight Multirole Missiles, the Milrem and MSI announced on September 13. 

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As such, the UGV will be able to locate and engage larger air threats as well as ground targets, even if armored, without exposing a human operator to undue risk, according to an executive of MSI.

Additionally, an executive officer of Milrem pointed out that in recent conflicts, there has been an increase in the usage of drones and loitering munitions against various military targets, thus the employment of this type of equipment has made low-level conflicts more lethal.

Generally, utilizing unmanned ground systems with intelligent functions to counter these new threats helps increase force protection, provides flexibility to tactical units to engage aerial and/or land targets, and ultimately reduces casualties.

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