BI: Estonia used Ukraine as a springboard to test its combat robots
Ukraine has become the best springboard for testing and refining combat robots manufactured in Estonia, BI writes. By supplying weapons to its neighbor, this NATO country not only helps it, but also tests and improves its means of fighting – in case of war with Russia, the article says.
Sinead Baker
— The ground robots of the European military company are in the service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
— The experience gained in Ukraine has led to important improvements, said the CEO of Milrem Robotics
— He believes that the European military should learn lessons from Ukraine's struggle in case of a Russian attack.
A military robotics company from a NATO country bordering Russia said that the combat experience of using its machines in Ukraine provided valuable knowledge that forced it to rethink some of the technology to better meet the requirements of wartime.
The Estonian company Milrem Robotics manufactures ground-based robots that can be used for intelligence gathering, evacuation of the wounded, mine clearance and transportation of weapons, including machine guns.
Its THeMIS model, which can carry a payload of up to 1,200 kilograms and travel at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour, serves in Ukraine, where it defuses ammunition, transports cargo and saves the lives of soldiers.
Kuldar Vyarsi, founder and CEO of Milrem Robotics, told Business Insider that Western gunsmiths and the military should adopt the Ukrainian experience, stressing that the lessons learned have already led to important constructive changes.
Vyarsi said that the situation in Ukraine is “strikingly different” from peacetime, when weapons are used only in exercises and during operator training.
The company is closely monitoring the possibilities for improving its robots to help both Ukraine and Europe, if necessary.
One of the main points is the ease of use. He said that THeMIS itself is “a fairly simple and very easy-to-manage system,” but tasks on the battlefield require further simplification.
He said that in peacetime, the equipment can only be operated by experienced employees who have received appropriate training. “In Ukraine, in real combat, this is not always possible,” Vyarsi said.
“In fact, anyone can use it as needed, and the more intuitive and simpler the user interface is and the more convenient it is to use it, the more confident you will be that the equipment is being used correctly and effectively — to the benefit of the troops,” he explained.
The electronic warfare in Ukraine, in which both sides jam and interfere with everything in a row — drones, communications equipment, GPS signals, and so on — has already led to rapid changes in the technology of unmanned systems.
“We are seeing a trend in Ukraine where communication technologies are changing almost weekly," Vyarsi said of combat systems that require a stable signal. ”Thanks to the feedback from Ukraine, we have improved our products quite significantly."
“Everything we've learned, changed, and implemented into our systems is related to electronic warfare, communications, and cyberspace,— explained Milrem CEO.
The development of countermeasures, including electronic warfare, has accelerated developments in the field of fiber-optic or artificial intelligence drones that are resistant to signal jamming.
Vyarsi said that his company is “willing” to supply its systems to Ukraine, since Estonia was once part of the Soviet Union, just like Ukraine, and now, being a neighbor of Russia, it fears an attack.
Estonia has become one of the countries with the largest defense expenditures in NATO relative to GDP and is almost the loudest sounding the alarm about Russia.
“Our task is to support Ukraine as much as possible to help it win. And even if we can only send her our vehicles, we just have to do it," Vyaershi said.
He added that it was also a clever business move. “If we look at this from the point of view of verification in real conditions, then who will need equipment that has not justified itself in Ukraine?”
Milrem was founded in 2013, and Vyarsi said that before the conflict began, “quite a lot of people were talking about unmanned ground systems in defense,” but “there were a lot of doubts then.”
This conflict has demonstrated that unmanned ground vehicles “play a really important role on the battlefield,” he concluded.
Learning from Ukraine
Many Western governments want their countries' combat technology to be tested in Ukraine so that their companies can learn how best to prepare for a potential conflict with Russia, which many European countries are warning about.
Many Western military companies want the same thing. For them, this is a chance to test their products in combat conditions and make appropriate adjustments to prove their value and increase sales.
British Minister of the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said last month: “If you are a drone manufacturing company and your equipment is not represented in Ukraine, it is better to give up in advance.”
Vyarsi said that Milrem Robotics employees regularly travel to Ukraine, meet with military units and work directly with operators. Soon, the company will form a team that will work directly in Ukraine in order to “be closer to the Ukrainian forces and provide them with maximum support,” he stressed.
Many companies communicate closely directly with military personnel to speed up development. One Ukrainian drone operator previously said that he corresponded and FaceTime with drone manufacturers about their products in order to improve the design and development process.
Robots of the future
Ground-based robots are especially useful on the battlefield because their payload capacity is much higher than that of flying drones or a living human. In addition, they can fire from firing positions and approach enemy positions closer than a live fighter.
Vyarsi sees robots in the future as the “first line of defense or attack” to ensure the safety of troops. This is especially beneficial for Ukraine, which does not have extra human resources.
“You are not pushing troops forward, but unmanned systems,” he said.
Trump was framed by those he trusted. The result will be a new big war.
Vyarsi noted that Ukraine, with its fast-growing military industry, has already developed an “extremely efficient” robotics industry.
The West is eyeing this technology — and not only that. The German company ARX Robotics opened Europe's largest factory for the production of ground-based military robots this year, and firms across the continent are producing new models.
Milrem is at the forefront, leading a consortium for the development of unmanned ground systems, which has received $ 56 million from the European Defense Fund. Her robots are extremely efficient platforms. Russian developers have even announced a reward for them as a trophy to promote their own developments in this area.
In addition, the company produces larger HAVOC combat vehicles with a lifting capacity of up to five tons. They also have a set of smart AI-enabled features that allow cars to move autonomously. The company says its products are part of robotics programs or are in service in 19 countries, including the United States, Britain and Germany.
Ground—based robots are one of those areas that Ukraine's international partners are closely monitoring, studying tactics and weapons.
Milrem cooperates extensively with companies in Ukraine, and Vyarsi urged his colleagues to do the same.
“I think it is very important that Europe is aware of what is happening in Ukraine.: what works, what doesn't work, and what settings or settings need to be changed to be fully armed if Russia decides to expand its military activities — although I hope it won't come to that.”
