The “F-16 of Unmanned Ground Systems”
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עברית (Hebrew)
Estonia will lead the development of Modular Unmanned Ground Systems (MUGS) project, in collaboration with Belgium, Spain, Latvia, France, Germany and Finland. Member states will apply for funding from the European Defense Fund.
Estonian Center for Defense Investment (ECDI) Director General Kusti Salm said: “We reached an agreement on military operational requirements for unmanned ground vehicles,” “The goal is no less than the development of the F-16 of unmanned ground systems.”
According to Salm, the requirements for unmanned systems operating on the battlefield are much higher than for autonomous civilian vehicles traveling on the highway. “Troop safety is among the priorities in developing unmanned vehicles,” he explained.
“An unmanned vehicle must be a reliable companion to a soldier on the battlefield, helping them make decisions faster, reduce the load to be carried and a shift toward increasing the endurance and protection of troops,” Salm explained.
The project will include the development of an unmanned ground vehicle, a command and control system, a cyberdefense solution as well as an integrated network of sensors. The system’s initial operational functions will be associated with improving situational awareness on the battlefield as well as raising the efficiency level of units’ maneuvering and transportation capabilities.
The first system prototype is expected to be revealed in 2021.
“What makes the MUGS project a front-runner in the European Defense Industrial Development Program (EDIDP) competition is the commitment of seven member states and unmatched industrial partnership across Europe,” the center director highlighted, according to news.err.ee.
