The manufacturer of Milrem Robotics noted on November 29, 2022, that Ukraine would receive 14 more THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles.
Source: The manufacturer of Milrem Robotics
The German government is paying for the vehicles and they will be delivered before the next year.
They will be used for the evacuation of injured civilians, as well as clearing routes from explosive devices.
“Ukraine will receive more than 10 robotic vehicles capable of evacuating battlefield casualties or clearing routes of explosives, among other tasks,” said the Estonian military contractor Milrem Robotics.
As part of a partnership between Milrem Robotics, and German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German government is paying for unmanned vehicles. They are called Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry Systems (or simply “THeMIS”). They agreed to deliver 14 unmanned ground vehicles to Ukraine by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Defense of Germany did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Casualty evacuation and route clearance are two labour-intensive activities that require the engagement of several people who remain in constant threat of enemy fire. Automating these tasks with unmanned vehicles alleviates that danger and allows more soldiers to stay in a safe area or be tasked for more important activities,” Jüri Pajuste, director of research and development at Milrem Robotics said.
A Russian think tank linked to the Kremlin’s defense establishment issued a $16,000 payment for the capture of one of the THeMIS vehicles. This was more than a typical Russian soldier gets in a year. The stated purpose of the payment was to study the vehicle and make similar equipment in Russia.
“The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated that modern warfare is unthinkable without the widespread use of unmanned vehicles,” Ruslan Pukhov, the director of Moscow’s Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said in a September statement to Insider, adding that “we are lagging behind.”
At the time, a spokesperson for Milrem Robotics responded to Insider: “We take this payment as a compliment.”
See also: About 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers will undergo training in Germany until June 2023
