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THeMIS teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle

In 2013, Estonia's largest manufacturer of unmanned vehicles and robots, Milrem Robotics, was formally established. The following year the company launched its own flagship product - Themis medium-sized military unmanned ground vehicle. This vehicle can be turned into a chassis for transportation and remote-controlled weapons, and participates in military activities through remote control.

Themis was the Titan goddess of divine law and order--the traditional rules of conduct first established by the gods. She was also a prophetic goddess who presided over the most ancient oracles, including Delphoi (Delphi). The Olympians were not merely individuals, they formed a group, and as a group they claim to be considered. Themis is the headstone which completes the structure of Greek religion. Philologically Themis is equal to the English word “doom.” Doom is the thing set, fixed, settled; it begins in convention, in the stress of public opinion, and it ends in statutory judgment.

Themis, like doom, begins on earth and ends in heaven. Doomsday on earth becomes the last judgment in heaven. In Homer Themis convenes the assembly, but she is no herald, like Hermes, no messenger, like Iris, she is the very spirit of the assembly incarnate. She is the force that brings and binds men together, she is herd instinct, the collective conscience, the social sanction. Themis was before the particular shapes of God. She is not religion, but she is the stuff of which religion is made. It is the emphasis and representation of herd instinct, of the collective conscience, that constitutes religion. Themis is the substratum of each and every god, though herself never quite a full-fledged divinity.

The THeMIS is a multipurpose tracked vehicle that can be equipped with other warfighting technology such as weapon systems, tethered drones, IED detection devices and much more. It has become the industry standard UGV sought out for various payload integration projects. Together with partners like Kongsberg, FN Herstal, MBDA, ST Engineering etc a dozen different systems have already been integrated. Live firing tests have been conducted with five different weapon systems, including an anti-tank missile launcher.

In addition, Milrem Robotics is working on enhancing the vehicle with autonomous functions including point-to-point navigation, obstacle detection and avoidance. Autonomous functions development is focused on mobility alone, not on weapon systems deployment.

Operationally proven during several exercises, experiments, and the anti-insurgency mission Operation Barkhane in Mali – the THeMIS is a multi-role unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) intended to reduce the number of troops on the battlefield. THeMIS’ open architecture enables it to be rapidly configured from having a transport function to being weaponized, performing ordnance disposal, or supporting intelligence operations according to the nature of the mission. THeMIS UGVs have been acquired by 11 countries, 7 of which are members of NATO, including Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, the UK, and the US.

The THeMIS Cargo is intended to support dismounted troops by carrying everything a soldier would normally carry, thus letting the fighter concentrate on the mission at hand. It can be outfitted with various types of tie downs and restraints to prevent load shift. Carrying supplies and equipment in combat is often difficult for dismounted units. Due to the soldier’s physical limitations, the weight of additional equipment and heavy weapons often restrict what the soldier can take into battle. The purpose of the THeMIS Cargo is to reduce the cognitive load of soldiers and provide a means to carry and utilize extra gear and firepower. The THeMIS Cargo will increase the mobility of dismounted units and make them more effective against the adversary. The THeMIS Cargo can also be used to support on-base logistical activities and for last-mile resupply.

The THeMIS Mortar carrier has been adjusted to accommodate a mortar up to 81 mm. The Cargo platform is equipped with a specially designed suspension system for safe transportation and utilization of the mortar, extra equipment and ammunition, making it rapidly deployable on harsh terrain. The main purpose of this system is to enable logistical supportand indirect fire for manoeuvre forces.

The purpose of the CASEVAC platform is to provide rapid evacuation for urgent casualties from the point of injury to higher-level medical facilities. It reduces the need for manpower usually used for casualty evacuation.The vehicle facilitates most NATO stretchers used in the armed forces.

The ADDER was the first remote weapon station integrated into the THeMIS. This system has been tested in the cold Estonian winter in partnership with weapon station developer and manufacturer Singapore Engineering Land Systems under the supervision of the Estonian Defence Forces.

The THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) equipped with the deFNder® Medium Remote Weapon Station was deployed by Milrem Robotics and FN Herstal in Estonia during Spring Storm 2019, the country´s biggest annual military exercise that was held from April 29 through to May 17, 2019. The UGV carrying a .50 cal (12.7mm) heavy machine gun was being used by soldiers from the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion who were faced with a variety of different battlefield scenarios, which included defensive and offensive actions. Combat missions were simulated and carried out in rural as well as urban areas. This is the second time that FN Herstal and Milrem Robotics deployed their joint solution during the Spring Storm in a continuous effort to perfect the force multiplier UGV for end-users.

“We are proud to maintain our partnership with Milrem Robotics by deploying our latest developments in realistic field conditions”, said Igor Klapka, VP Systems for FN Herstal. “For the first time, we are showcasing new ways to control the deFNder® Remote Weapon Station: the operator being mobile with the troops and commanding the weapon thanks to a portable controller and observing via a screen or through display goggles. As always, and more than ever, the human stays in-the-loop.”

“The deployment of the THeMIS UGV at Spring Storm greatly enhanced our combat effectiveness by adding mobility, increasing the effectiveness of combat service support and reducing soldier fatigue. Furthermore, using the UGV as a force multiplier with FN Herstal’s weapon system increased the effectiveness of battleground firepower,” stated lieutenant Lauri Tõnisson from Kuperjanov infantry battalion.

Spring Storm is an annual military exercise with about 10,000 members of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup, and a variety of other allied units taking part this year. The military personnel of Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United States of America, Ukraine, and Estonia were participating in this year’s exercise.

MBDA and Milrem Robotics showcased the world’s first anti-tank unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at IDEX 2019, the main defence industry event in the MENA region. The debut of the system’s advanced concept comes only eight months after Milrem Robotics and MBDA announced the start of feasibility studies of the system.

The joint project integrates the Milrem Robotics THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle with the MBDA IMPACT (Integrated MMP Precision Attack Combat Turret) system fitted with two MMP 5th generation battlefield engagement missiles and a self-defence machine gun. “This combination of two of the most modern technologies in their field is a very good example how robotic warfare systems will bring disruption to the battlefield and make some traditional technologies obsolete,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Our unmanned land combat system under study together with MBDA will be very efficient in keeping our troops safe and significantly increasing the capability to fight main battle tanks as well as any other ground target,” Väärsi added.

The land combat warfare system is intended to be remotely operated. Soldiers can deploy it while remaining at a safe distance and using a wireless or a tethered connection. The system will have a low heat and noise signature so it can stay unnoticed until completing its mission. “Being delivered to the French Army since the end of 2017, the MMP system is now deployed by the French forces in theatre, where it replaces the Milan and Javelin missiles. With fully digitalized functions of observation, targeting, positioning and guidance, the MMP system is perfectly suited for integration on vehicles, including remotely operated ones” said Francis Bordachar, Military Advisor Land Products at MBDA.

After Themis received praise from the military, the company proposed a civilian version of the unmanned vehicle called "Multiscope". The application of the civilian version allows private enterprises to have better choices in civil engineering, fire rescue, logistics and transportation, etc. It also reduces the waste and use of manpower, and speeds up work efficiency and work results.

The excellent performance of the two unmanned ground vehicles has enabled Milrem Robotics to have better theoretical and practical data in the research and development of unmanned vehicles. After the unremitting efforts of R&D personnel, the company's latest product "Type-X" was officially born in early 2020, and it won the attention of many military experts and media as soon as it appeared , and it instantly became the "net celebrity product" among military vehicles.