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Wheels:
Modular hybrid unmanned war vehicle system unveiled at Singapore Airshow 2016

Why have a four-legged pack-mule robot follow you in combat, when you can have a transformable go-bot arsenal on mini tank tracks follow you instead? That, at least, is the idea behind the new THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System) unmanned ground vehicle concept shown off by Estonian defense company Milrem.

The first-of-its-kind hybrid modular UGV was unveiled at the 2016 Singapore Airshow in February. It features an almost Swiss Army-knife-like pack of convertible tools and weapons that can assist and replace soldiers on the battlefield in complex and hazardous tasks.

The multi-mission, 8-ft-long vehicle platform allows different superstructures to be mounted and integrated onto the middle vehicular platform for complex missions such as rescue, transport, and reconnaissance. It can also be outfitted with multi-caliber weapons (a little more about that later), a lifting platform, a demining platform, a training platform, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) platform, and the capability to act as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) detector.

The flexibility and versatile nature of the system is aimed at not only increasing efficiency, but also at significantly reducing the life-cycle costs of traditional complex unmanned systems by simplifying maintenance and spare supplies.

The max speed for the 700-kg (1,543 lb) base unit is 50 km/h (31 mph) and can carry a payload that matches its curb weight. The diesel-electric drive (that's the hybrid part) can also be used in electric-only mode. Milrem says it will perform about 8 hours of work with fully charged Li-Ion batteries and a topped-up gas tank. It can be remotely controlled or preprogrammed to run autonomously.

Together with Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics), Milrem developed the THeMIS ADDER. This variant, for when you literally want to get the big guns out, features THeMIS equipped with ST Kinetics' remote weapon station, the RWS ADDER, and includes an anti-tank platform.

According to IHS' Jane 360, "The Adder RWS is able to accommodate either a 7.62-mm or 12.7-mm machine gun, or alternatively a 40-mm automatic grenade launcher. It also features day and night cameras, a laser rangefinder, and an optional air-bursting munition system."

In line with THeMIS, Milrem has also launched the Digital Infantry Battlefield Solution (DIBS), the tactical usage of smart unmanned systems up to battalion level. This program is in development in conjunction with the Estonian National Defense College, which will take a role in real-world testing with Estonian Defense Forces.

Milrem has successfully conducted initial running tests for the THeMIS prototype and says it will be ready for production by the end of this year.

Source: Milrem

Published March 2016

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