During the next dozen years smart unmanned ground systems (UGS) will start to replace soldiers on the battlefield, concludes a study published by the Estonian defense solutions provider Milrem together with esteemed academics from several countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUGSs can promise greater effectiveness and efficiencies as they do not need sleep and cannot experience the horror of war, with its inevitable emotional impact,\u201d writes James Rogers, one of the authors of the book and the Director of the Department of Political and Strategic Studies at the Baltic Defence College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Codenamed DIBS or the Digital Infantry Battlefield Solution analyzes how UGSs will affect future warfare. The first book of this study, concentrating on background analysis, was published this week. Milrem, the developer of the first fully modular hybrid unmanned ground vehicle THeMIS, was the initiator of the DIBS study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Milrem has been working on an unmanned platform that can be used for very different applications starting from simple transportation tasks to reconnaissance and fire support missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Milrem\u2019s unmanned ground system THeMIS can carry a payload up to 750 kg and can be outfitted with small and large-caliber weapons, different sensors, EOD devices, etc. The different payloads can be easily changed via a simple plug-and-play system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe continued development and fielding of UGSs, specially armed and automated UGSs connected to a network and capable of operating in a synchronized fashion will radically transform the future of warfare,\u201d writes Dr. Janis Berzins, Director of the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy of Latvia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aim of DIBS is to gain a better understanding of the possibilities UGSs can be used on the battlefield and therefore which solutions should be used while developing the THeMIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTarget acquisition and detection systems in combination with seamless data transfer and weaponized robotic systems will create a very efficient and powerful combat unit while reducing the risks to the soldiers,\u201d explained Kuldar V\u00e4\u00e4rsi, CEO of Milrem<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Milrem has already successfully tested the THeMIS as an unmanned weapons platform together with the Estonian Defence Forces and ST Kinetics, one of Asia\u2019s leading land systems companies.
DIBS study will be continued over the coming years. As a next phase virtual and real-life exercises will be conducted in order to analyze the suitability of UGSs in different warfare scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The book was published in collaboration with Estonian National Defence College, Latvian National Defence Academy, Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Riga Technical University, and The University of Tartu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n