European robotics and autonomous systems developer Milrem Robotics and German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) signed a contract in late November on the delivery of 14 THEMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) to Ukraine.

Of the 14 unmanned vehicles, seven are of the CASEVAC configuration for transporting the wounded from the battlefield. These are to be delivered by the end of this year. The other seven, to be delivered in the second quarter of 2023, will be configured for route clearance with cargo by French defence company CNIM Systèmes Industriels. Funding is provided by the German Ministry of Defence.

THeMIS Cargo CASEVAC

Milrem Robotics delivered a CASEVAC THEMIS to a Ukrainian organization within the year, while the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies announced that THEMiS was “wanted” by the Russian Armed Forces with a €15,482 “reward”.

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THeMIS is a Multi-Purpose Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) already in service with 11 nations including the UK, the Netherlands, Estonia, Germany, and the USA, and has been tested in the context of exercises and operations in Mali. It is also part of programs involving a total of 16 nations as well as the European iMUGS program to develop a modular and scalable architecture for hybrid manned and unmanned systems.

It provides support to infantry troops, while through its functions the manufacturers believe that it can also reduce the number of necessary human resources in the field. It is powered by a hybrid diesel engine and electric generator and its modular structure allows it to be modified accordingly into various versions. 

These versions include the CARGO versions for transporting cargo, wounded personnel, and mortars, the COMBAT versions with the capability of adding a machine gun, a 40 mm grenade launcher, a 30 mm gun, anti-tank systems, and even HERO loitering munitions, while there is also a version for anti-mining missions and versions for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

*File photos

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