Japan orders THeMIS UGVs
THeMIS UGVs have been adopted by 16 countries including eight NATO nations. (Photo: Milrem)
Milrem’s Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, multimission, hybrid UGV. The current fifth-generation model incorporates knowledge gained during tests in the US, Europe and the Middle East, as well as during field-deployment in Mali in the French-led Operation Barkhane.
Japan has ordered three Milrem Robotics THeMIS UGVs for resupply, transportation and intelligence gathering for service with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces.
The vehicles will be equipped with Milrem’s Intelligent Functions Kit (MIFIK), enabling them to execute on- and off-road operations independently, and allowing operators to plan missions using waypoint navigation and set en-route vehicle behaviours.
A Milrem spokesman announced at World Defence Show in February 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that it had recently signed two new contracts, the first of which was expected to be revealed “shortly” with the second after a “slightly longer delay”. The first of these contracts was likely to have been the Japanese contract.
The platform has been ordered by or is in service with 17 countries including eight NATO countries: Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK and the US. THeMIS UGVs have also been in service with Ukrainian soldiers in the war with Russia.
In January, it was announced that Milrem would supply 60 large UGVs to the UAE, a combination of heavily armed and reconnaissance systems, under a deal announced worth more than US$200 million. Forty of the vehicles will be THeMIS.
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