Integrated_Unmanned_Ground_System
Integrated Unmanned Ground System
Unmanned ground vehicle
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.[1][2][3]
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.[4][5]
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.[6] 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 where leading the presentation. [7] Further demonstrations where held in german Lehnin in that years December.[8]
After the EDGE group, located in the authoritarian UAE,[9] has bought half of estonian Milrem Robotics in February 2023, the IMUGS technology is revealed to at least one non-NATO state.[10]
