Uncrewed ground vehicles put to the test as NATO eyes autonomous shift
Diehl Defence’s UGV won the Mule trial for a second year running. (Photo: Diehl Defence GmbH & Co KG)
The European Land Robot Trials are influenced by NATO researchers seeking to create uncrewed ground vehicle standards for allied Western forces working in multinational task forces.
Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) have long been overshadowed by their naval and aerial counterparts but are increasingly coming into their own for battlefield roles like reconnaissance, threat detection, demining or casualty evacuation. Recent developments in the capability were demonstrated at this year’s 2026 European Land Robot Trial (ELROB), which took place on 15-19 June.
ELROB was originally created after a suggestion from NATO to test uncrewed systems in realistic operational environment, leading the German Bundeswehr to set up the event. Specialists in robotics, 3D technologies and agentic AI from startups, university research departments and major defence manufacturers now attend ELROB to show off
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