• Defence Notes

  Australia sharpens defence force to ‘shape, deter and respond’

  2nd July 2020

  The year 2020 has been dramatic so far, and Australia marked its halfway point by releasing twin documents – the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GDLS awarded UGV contract by British Army

  4th June 2020

  General Dynamics Land Systems confirmed on 4 June that it has delivered two of its fully electric 8x8 Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) UGVs to the …

• Defence Notes

  IAI hooks up with Israeli start-ups for autonomous systems

  2nd June 2020

  The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Innovation Center is producing its first deliverables after completing an initial 13-week cycle of development with three local start-up companies. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  BAE Systems to contribute to DARPA’s Squad X Programme

  3rd June 2020

  BAE Systems has been selected by Lockheed Martin to provide key autonomy and AI capabilities to the  DARPA Squad X programme. The contract is worth …

• Defence Notes

  Don’t guess, test – the case for a European defence startup landscape

  25th June 2020

  The increasing geopolitical competition of the digital world powers - US and China- requires Europe to unleash its own innovative forces to preserve multilateralism in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Turkey to start production of new armed UGV

  18th May 2020

  The Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) has signed a contract with Aselsan for production of armed UGVs. Experienced manufacturer Katmerciler will produce the UGV …

• Training

  Finland acquires MASA SWORD

  10th June 2020

  Constructive training company MASA Group has signed what it terms a ‘major contract’ with the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) for its SWORD C2 training system, …

• Land Warfare

  Vulcano 155mm ammunition is ready for production

  9th June 2020

  Artillery forces are seeking more range and greater accuracy but the key is still target acquisition, especially at longer ranges. With this in mind, Leonardo …

• Defence Notes

  COVID crisis should catalyse deeper cooperation, says EDA chief

  18th June 2020

  Jiří Šedivý officially took the helm at the European Defence Agency (EDA) in early May at a time of unprecedented crisis. With the COVID-19 pandemic set to …

• Land Warfare

  PLA unsheathes its Sharp Claws

  6th May 2020

  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is now known to be using UGVs for reconnaissance purposes, with the first evidence of their use by the Chinese …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  THeMIS UGV finishes stint in Mali

  5th May 2020

  Milrem Robotics confirmed on 5 May that its THeMIS UGV has completed its first deployment to Mali as part of Operation Barkhane with the Estonian …

• Digital Battlespace

  Academia to aid Australian development of AI capabilities

  25th May 2020

  A team of mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, and software scientists at two Australian universities is to research new data analytics and AI applications for the Department …

• Training

  RBSL offers UGV training to British Army

  12th May 2020

  Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has secured a training and maintenance contract with Rheinmetall Canada to support the British Army’s recent acquisition of four Mission …

• Defence Notes

  Russia eyes new bases to project global power

  26th May 2020

  Recent statements from senior military commanders, as well as insight gleaned by Shephard from military analysts, indicate that Russia is intent on expanding and reinforcing …

• Digital Battlespace

  Fire Scout set to gain Link 16

  7th May 2020

  Northrop Grumman is set to receive new contracts from the US Navy over the next two years to integrate Link 16 on the MQ-8C Fire …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Programme Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [UK]

  Programme Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly ...

• Medium UGVs

  Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer [US]

  Programme Background Whilst there are many medium UGV programmes developing concepts for last-mile resupply problems the US Army's M-MET programme aims to provide an uncrewed ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Netherlands and Estonia]

  Programme Background The Estonian Armed Forces had already been operating the THeMIS UGV in Mali for a year at the time the programme was announced ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Spain]

  Programme Background In taking delivery of the THeMIS UGV Spain became the 13th user of the system. Like many of the other customers it was ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS (Ukraine Aid) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background The programme will be managed by Milrem Robotics Netherlands in co-operation with VDL Defentec, which is establishing an assembly line at its Born ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [United Kingdom]

  Programme Background Milrem's THeMIS UGV is one of the most successful UGVs on the international market and like many militaries the British Army is looking ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Sweden]

  Programme Background Many countries have been acquiring small numbers of Milrem's THeMIS UGV since its success in the hands of Estonian Forces in Mali. The ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master [Norway]

  Programme Background Developed by Rheinmetall Canada in 2021, the Mission Master XT is designed to tackle ice and snow, as well as sandy, rocky and ...

• Medium UGVs

  DSTL Medium UGV [UK]

  Programme Background This programme was established to determine the future use of medium UGVs for logistical purposes in the British Army, although it was run ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master SP [Japan]

  Programme Background Japanese budget documentation from 2024 had pictured a medium-UGV similar in outline to the Mission Master SP, and in the 2025 budget ¥1.4 billion ...

• Medium UGVs

  Ripsaw M3 [Sweden]

  Programme Background This is the first sale for the Ripsaw in Europe, which has otherwise favoured the Estonian THeMIS UGV, one of which Sweden ordered ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Programme Background Of the 14 vehicles, seven will be configured for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and were scheduled to be delivered by the end 2022. The ...

• Light UGVs

  Teledyne PackBot 525 [Germany]

  Programme Background The Packbot 525 is a small UGV used to perform bomb disposal, surveillance and reconnaissance, CBRNE detection and mapping.  Bidders and Suppliers The Mission Master ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [USA]

  Programme Background The US Army's Corps of Engineers' CRREL acquired the THeMIS to evaluate UGVs including their autonomy and to develop concepts related to their ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Rook

  The Rook is a 6x6 multipurpose UGV developed by Elbit in partnership with Roboteam. Conceived to carry heavy payloads in a wide range of environments, the ...

• Medium UGVs

  Arion-SMET

  The Arion-SMET is a fully electric 6x6 multipurpose UGV developed and produced by Hanwha Defense. With a payload of 550kg, the UGV can travel for up ...

• Light UGVs

  Oto-TRP7-HS

  The Oto-TRP7-HS (Homeland Security) is a semi-autonomous, electric-powered, tracked UGV. It is designed to undertake a number of homeland security missions. 

• Medium UGVs

  Rex Mk II

  The Rex Mk II is a UGV manufactured by Isreal Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is a multimission system designed to provide direct support to manoeuvring infantry ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Mission Master CXT

  Part of Rheinmetall's Mission Master family, The Mission Mater Compact Extreme Terrain, or Mission Master CXT, is a rugged UGV designed to transport heavy payloads ...

• Medium UGVs

  Barkan

  The Barkan, or Barkan-2, is a Turkish UGV manufactured by Havelsan. A fully electric propulsion system powers the tracked, modular vehicle, which can be armed with a 7.62mm ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Shadow Rider

  Unveiled for the first time at IDEF 2019 and showcased with improvements at IDEF 2021, the Shadow Rider is a UGV developed and built by ...

• Medium UGVs

  Ermine UGV

  At Eurosatory 2024, Rheinmetall presented the Ermine family of tactical vehicles. The modular Ermine family currently consists of a UGV, a side-by-side buggy and a ...

• Medium UGVs

  Marker

  The Marker is a Russian UGV manufactured by Androidnaya Tekhnika. Development started in 2018, and the three-tonne UGV is now capable of supporting anti-tank missile systems, coaxial ...

• Medium UGVs

  Centurio

  At Eurosatory 2024, KNDS unveiled the Centurio family of 4x4 UGVs. Based on the Phobos UGV by SOGECLAIR, Centurio has been developed in the 2024-30 ...

• Medium UGVs

  Viking

  The Viking is a high-mobility 6x6 multipurpose UGV developed and produced by IDV Robotics. The UGV can be configured to perform different missions, from logistic ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Oshkosh Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV)

  The Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) is a tracked UGV developed by Oshkoshl in partnership with Pratt & Miller and QinetiQ. In September 2023, as part of ...

• Light UGVs

  Quator/Quator XL

  Quator is a scout, observation, inspection and detection robot suitable for rapid-response scenarios. Quator XL builds on the transportation capabilities of the smaller version, weighing ...

• Heavy UGVs

  Valkyrie

  The Valkyrie is a 6x6 UGV developed by the Spanish company SASCorp. It was unveiled for the first time at FINDEF 2021. The platform has reportedly ...

• Medium UGVs

  Titan UGV

  The Titan large UGV is a hybrid system built on the Milrem Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) combined with QinetiQ North America's Tactical Robot Controller ...