Integrated Unmanned Ground System

{{Infobox weapon

| name = Integrated Unmanned Ground System

| service =

| steering =

| spec_label =

| number =

| production_date = Demonstration planned 2021

| unit_cost =

| image_size = 300

| image = THeMIS 5th generation UGV.jpg

| used_by = {{army|Belgium}}

{{army|Czech Republic}}

{{army|Estonia}}

{{army|France}}

{{army|Finland}}

{{army|Germany}}

{{army|Hungary}}

{{army|Latvia}}

{{army|Netherlands}}
{{army|Poland}}

{{army|Spain}}

| is_vehicle = yes

| transmission =

| type = Unmanned ground vehicle

| caption = THeMIS that will be used as basis for the iMUGS

(not representative of the final iMUGS design)

| manufacturer = {{collapsible list |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;

|title = 14 European companies

|1=Milrem Robotics

|2=GT Cyber Technologies

|3=Safran Electronics & Defense

|4=NEXTER Systems

|5=Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

|6=Diehl Defence

|7=Bittium Wireless

|8=Insta DefSec

|9=(Un)Manned

|10=dotOcean

|11=Latvijas Mobilais Telefons

|12=GMV Aerospace and Defence

|13=Estonian Military Academy

|14=Royal Military Academy of Belgium

}}

| part_length =

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| origin = {{flag|European Union}}

}}

Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (UGS or iMUGS) is a European Union's Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project that aims to create a European standard unmanned ground system and develop scalable modular architecture for hybrid manned-unmanned systems, as well as increasing interoperability, situational awareness and speeding up decision making. The project is coordinated by Estonia, with 10 other European countries participating. It will use Milrem's existing THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle for different payloads.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=integrated-unmanned-ground-system-ugs|url=https://pesco.europa.eu/project/integrated-unmanned-ground-system-ugs/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}{{Cite web|last=Hankewitz|first=Sten|date=2020-12-18|title=Estonia-led consortium to develop the European standard unmanned ground system|url=https://estonianworld.com/technology/estonia-led-consortium-to-develop-the-european-standard-unmanned-ground-system/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Estonian World|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|title=EU States Come Together to Develop A Modular UGV|url=https://www.defenceprocurementinternational.com/features/land/integrated-modular-unmanned-ground-system|access-date=2021-02-12|website=www.defenceprocurementinternational.com|language=en-gb}}

The total cost of the programme is €32.6m, of which €30.6m was funded by the European Commission (EDIDP) and the remaining €2m by the participating countries collectively. The aim of the EDIDP programme is to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European Union and the co-operation between member countries.{{Cite web|title=Press corner|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en|access-date=2021-02-12|website=European Commission - European Commission|language=en}}{{Cite web |first= |date=2019 |title=integrated modular unmanned ground system |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/attachment/865736/EDIDP%20-%20iMUGS.pdf.pdf |website=European Commission}}

The project results will be shown in operational environments as part of military exercises or at separate testing events, the first demonstration is scheduled for Q2 2021 in Estonia, with later demonstrations planned in each member state.{{Cite web|last=MariaTiidus|date=2020-12-16|title=Estonia led consortium to start the development of the European standard unmanned ground system > Centre for Defence Investment|url=https://www.kaitseinvesteeringud.ee/en/estonia-led-consortium-to-start-the-development-of-the-european-standard-unmanned-ground-system/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Centre for Defence Investment|language=en-US}} In October 2022 the project was demonstrated in french Versailles. Unmanned, autonomous groundsystems where performing a diversity of defence missions, such as reconnaissance, evacuation and replenishment. Safran and Nexter were leading the presentation. {{Cite web |last=redaktion |first=spartanat |date=2022-12-13 |title=iMUGS: Hier kommt THeMIS UGV |url=https://www.spartanat.com/2022/12/imugs-hier-kommt-themis-ugv/ |access-date=2023-04-04 |website=SPARTANAT |language=de-DE}} Further demonstrations were held in german Lehnin in December of that year.{{Cite web |last=KG |first=Diehl Stiftung & Co |title=iMUGS-Demonstration in Lehnin {{!}} Diehl Defence |url=https://www.diehl.com//defence/de/presse-und-medien/news/imugs-demonstration-in-lehnin/ |access-date=2023-04-04 |website=www.diehl.com |language=de}}

Objectives

Goal of the project is to build and demonstrate a system of unmanned ground and airborne vehicles that can perform a variety of surveillance and rescue tasks and standardise a European ecosystem for aerial and ground platforms, command, control and communications, sensors, payloads, and algorithms.{{Cite web|title=Milrem-led consortium receives EU grant to develop European standard unmanned ground system|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/milrem-led-consortium-receives-eu-grant-to-develop-european-standard-unmanned-ground-system|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Janes.com|language=en}} The ethical aspects of robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems will be taken into account, Milrem said the system being developed would be under “meaningful human control”.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-16|title=Milrem Robotics led consortium to start the development of the European standard unmanned ground system|url=https://milremrobotics.com/milrem-robotics-led-consortium-to-start-the-development-of-the-european-standard-unmanned-ground-system/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Milrem|language=en-GB}}

Requirements set by 7 members:{{Cite web|date=2020-06-17|title=Milrem Robotics led consortium awarded 30,6 MEUR by the European Commission to develop a European standardized unmanned ground system|url=https://milremrobotics.com/milrem-robotics-led-consortium-awarded-306-meur-by-the-european-commission-to-develop-a-european-standardized-unmanned-ground-system/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Milrem|language=en-GB}}

  • Autonomy
  • Cyber Security
  • Communications & Vehicle to vehicle
  • Command & Control, Interoperability
  • Modular Standardized Open Architecture
  • Swarming
  • Manned-Unmanned Teaming & Operational Scenarios

Capabilities:

  • Multi-mission capable platform to carry different payloads (transport, ISR, tethered UAV etc.) and sensors
  • Cyber secure autonomous navigation capability for route and mission planning with different options for manned-unmanned teaming
  • EW resilient Command & Control interface capable of swarming and interoperable with existing C4 systems

Members

{{columns-list|* {{Flaglist|Estonia}} - Project Coordinator

  • {{Flaglist|Belgium}}
  • {{Flaglist|Czech Republic}}
  • {{Flaglist|France}}
  • {{Flaglist|Finland}}
  • {{Flaglist|Germany}}
  • {{Flaglist|Hungary}}
  • {{Flaglist|Latvia}}
  • {{Flaglist|Netherlands}}
  • {{Flaglist|Poland}}
  • {{Flaglist|Spain}}|colwidth=20em|style=width: 900px;}}

Participating companies

14 companies from across Europe are cooperating on the project:{{Cite web|last=Richardson|first=Jack|date=2020-06-23|title=Development of a European Standardised Unmanned Ground System|url=https://euro-sd.com/2020/06/news/17654/edidp-funded-unmanned-ground-system-programme/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=European Security & Defence|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511193136/https://euro-sd.com/2020/06/news/17654/edidp-funded-unmanned-ground-system-programme/|url-status=dead}}

  • {{flagicon|Estonia}} Milrem Robotics
  • {{flagicon|Estonia}} GT Cyber Technologies
  • {{flagicon|Estonia}} Estonian Military Academy
  • {{flagicon|France}} Safran Electronics & Defense
  • {{flagicon|France}} NEXTER Systems
  • {{flagicon|Germany}} Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
  • {{flagicon|Germany}} Diehl Defence
  • {{flagicon|Latvia}} Latvijas Mobilais Telefons
  • {{flagicon|Finland}} Bittium
  • {{flagicon|Finland}} Insta DefSec
  • {{flagicon|Spain}} GMV Aerospace and Defence will be coordinator of the command and control and C4ISR interoperability subproject{{Cite web|title=GMV {{!}} unmanned ground vehicle|url=https://www.gmv.com/en/Company/Communication/News/2020/07/iGMUS.html|access-date=2021-02-12|website=www.gmv.com}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • {{flagicon|Belgium}} (UN)MANNED will develop the certifiable ground control station allowing one operator to control a large fleet of unmanned systems (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Unmanned Ground Vehicles).
  • {{flagicon|Belgium}} Royal Military Academy of Belgium will lead the sub-project on swarming, developing capabilities, enabling heterogeneous teams of robots to work as a group towards a common objective.
  • {{flagicon|Belgium}} dotOcean is member of the swarming team and develops algorithms to enable teamwork and cooperation in a fleet of networked robots.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-22|title=dotOcean contributes to the future of an European standard unmanned ground system • dotOcean|url=https://www.dotocean.eu/news/dotocean-contributes-to-the-future-european-unmanned-ground-system-standard/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=dotOcean|language=en-US}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Common Security and Defence Policy}}

Intelligence

Category:Unmanned ground combat vehicles