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Military

THeMIS ADDER weaponized UGV aces first live fire tests

By Michael Irving
December 02, 2016
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The THeMIS ADDER is designed to support or eventually replace ground troops in the battlefield
Milrem
The TheMIS platform can carry a payload of 750 to 1,000 kg (1,653 and 2,205 lb) and hit a top speed of between 24 and 35 km/h (15 and 21.7 mph)
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER is equipped with a remote weapon station from ST Kinetics, armed with a CIS 50MG heavy machine gun
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER runs on a hybrid diesel-electric drive, and can operate for up to 10 hours at a time
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER is the result of a long-time collaboration between Milrem and ST Kinetics, to develop a weaponized UGV
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER is designed to support or eventually replace ground troops in the battlefield
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER also has applications in remote reconnaissance, counter-explosive missions, supply deliveries and med-evac
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER tests were designed to make sure the vehicle platform and the weapon station were stable and communicated effectively
Milrem
The THeMIS ADDER reportedly aced its tests in November, which were supervised by the Estonian Defence Force
Milrem
Milrem and ST Kinetics have conducted the first live fire tests of their weaponized UGV, the THeMIS ADDER
Milrem
The turret on top of the THeMIS ADDER can spin 360 degrees around and hit targets from as far away as 1.8 km (1.1 miles)
Milrem
View gallery - 10 images

After unveiling it at the Singapore Airshow back in February, Milrem and ST Kinetics have conducted the first live fire tests of their weaponized unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), the THeMIS ADDER. Armed with a heavy machine gun, the UGV reportedly aced the tests, paving the way for robots that may eventually be able to support or even replace ground troops on the battlefield.

Two main components make up the modular unmanned vehicle. Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) provides the tank-like base, running a hybrid diesel-electric drive that can operate for up to 10 hours at a time. It can be controlled remotely, with the potential for autonomous operation. A central platform between the treads allows the UGV to be kitted out for a variety of military applications, such as remote reconnaissance, counter-explosive missions, supply deliveries or med-evac.

In this case, it was topped with an ADDER remote weapon station from ST Kinetics, and armed with a CIS 50MG heavy machine gun. Together, the THeMIS ADDER represents a long-time collaboration between the two companies in developing a weaponized UGV, and under supervision of the Estonian Defence Forces, the vehicle was put through its first live fire tests last month.

Milrem and ST Kinetics have conducted the first live fire tests of their weaponized UGV, the THeMIS ADDER
Milrem

"The tests were intended to test the stability of our platform and see how the remote weapon station and vehicle communicate and work with each other," says Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem. "To our satisfaction everything worked perfectly, you can see as much from the video."

The THeMIS ADDER can carry between 750 and 1,000 kg (1,653 and 2,205 lb), and hit a top speed of between 24 and 35 km/h (15 and 21.7 mph). The turret on top can spin a full 360 degrees in a matter of seconds, and hit targets from as far away as 1.8 km (1.1 miles).

The UGV can be seen in action in the video below.

Source: Milrem

View gallery - 10 images

Tags

MilitaryWeaponsBattlefieldTestingWarfareAutonomous VehiclesUGVdrones
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Michael Irving
Michael has always been fascinated by space, technology, dinosaurs, and the weirder mysteries of the universe. With a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and several years experience under his belt, he joined New Atlas as a staff writer in 2016.
10 comments
Willibald
A simple fence will stop it. Fail.
MattII
@Williband, it weighs in at ~850 kg bare, so hitting at a speed of 35 km/h I don't think your average chain-link fence is going to hold up too well.
Brian M
Dead in its tracks - courtesy of an EMP weapon strike, Mk1 human soldier still in job!
Lardo
"...or even replace ground troops on the battlefield." Oh goody. We can now go to war without anyone getting killed.
And just how is that suppose to work? What, once my toys destroy all your toys you're going to just lay-down and surrender? I think not. More than likely you'll just make more, or more lethal, toys. Leading to perpetual war.
But hey, if no one's getting killed... what's the harm?
We humans are so brilliant... we're stoopid.
Bob Flint
Deep ditch, rocky terrain, ponds, and thick forest, all off limits....
Buellrider
Top brass get off spending on stuff like this. This is why so much gear is left behind in wars. Nobody is going to like waiting when this latest gizmo stops dead in its tracks with no one to fix it. What happens when it targets friendlies and kills them so fast that everyone just freezes and has no idea what just happened. Way to complicated.
ljaques
RE: Fences, perhaps additional arms with wirecutters, etc. would come in handy as an option. These appear to be used in tandem with humans, though. The large sensor looked awfully vulnerable out in front of the pedestal. I'd love a pair to quietly keep my house safe from apocalypse zombies at night. That thermal screen from the drone didn't make me happy, though, as I didn't see any IFF info. That would be an absolute MUST before a soldier would get in front of one. One wonders how bulletproof the robotic tanks are.
Steve W
lets put these resources into eliminating occasion for battlefields, rather than new ways to kill. Most people go to jail for building bombs in their garage......
MBadgero
Nice if it can carry some of the soldier's load. 80 pound packs get old, I'm sure.
Armour looks light. Germany's WWII Goliath minitank was very susceptible to small arms fire. This one probably is too.
But it has your back. Or it shoots it, depending on who it thinks you are.
Grunchy
You guys think it's autonomous, but it's nothing but a remote control car with a video camera & gun. It probably distinguishes troops by appearance only, hopefully with PTZ hi-def night vision camera. To me this makes a lot of sense, why is the driver's physical presence needed? He can drive it just as well from the safety of a nearby shack, same as the quad copter surveillance, same as the troop carrier. One of these could get blown up by an IED and nobody sheds a tear. If you were defending a position and a dozen of these robot tanks came barreling in at you from all angles, guns blazing, what would you do? As for a fence stopping it, yes inasmuch as there's no way around / over / through the fence. For example, I doubt you could drive up to the 4th floor of an apartment building. But is that necessary? If you trapped somebody in an apartment I guess you could surround it and wait them out from air conditioned comfort through your remote control video screen, with donuts & shift relief, while they suffer with nowhere to go except to surrender. I don't mind technology making human sacrifice obsolete, that's great!
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