The integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project Consortium showcased the usage of swarming unmanned ground systems for defence missions like reconnaissance, mapping and resupply during the fourth project demonstration in Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium. The event was led by the Belgian Royal Military Academy (RMA) and supported by other consortium members.
All the partners met in the Camp Roi Albert of the Belgian Army, made available during the weeks of integration and validation preceding the demonstration. During the demonstration, three Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS UGVs equipped with payloads from the consortium members and cooperation partners fulfilled several missions in collaboration with swarms of smaller ‘wingman’ robotic systems to demonstrate the ability of the complete iMUGS system. These swarms of smaller robotic systems included a team of five ‘Kenny’ robots by partner dotOcean that were used for mapping the terrain and providing a common operational picture of the battlespace and next to that a team of five ‘Summit’ robots by partner RMA for autonomous resupply operations. In order to underline the manned-unmanned teaming potential of the iMUGS solution, the missions were performed in close collaboration with operatives from the Belgian armed forces. The demonstration organized in Belgium was the fourth of a total of six demonstrations held during the iMUGS project.
About the iMUGS project
iMUGS is a 32,6 MEUR project, a 13-party collaboration focused on developing a modular and scalable architecture for hybrid manned-unmanned systems. The parties involved are Milrem Robotics (project coordinator), Bittium, Diehl Defence, dotOcean, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Insta Advance, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), NEXTER Systems, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium (RMA), Safran Electronics & Defense, Talgen Cybersecurity, and sol.one.
The aim of the project is to standardize a European-wide ecosystem for aerial and ground platforms, command, control, and communication equipment, sensors, payloads, and algorithms. The project addresses challenges such as enhanced interoperability, increased situational awareness, and faster decision-making.