Ukraine's new MAT1LDA amphibious 8x8 UGV carries thermobaric drones to attack Russian forces across rivers.

Ukrainian defense company Tencore showcased its MAT1LDA 8×8 amphibious unmanned ground vehicle carrying a TerMIT 2.0 robot equipped with eight lightweight RPV-18 thermobaric launchers at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C. The layered operational configuration uses a heavy amphibious platform to traverse river obstacles and soft terrain before deploying a smaller, independently armed system into combat zones. This deployment concept reduces risk to human crews during assault and crossing operations in contested battlefields.

At AUSA 2026, Tencore displayed the new MAT1LDA amphibious 8×8 UGV carrying a smaller electric tracked TerMIT 2.0 robot armed with RPV-18 thermobaric rocket-propelled flamethrowers. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Between October 12 and October 14, 2026, during AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., Ukrainian company Tencore showcased the MAT1LDA 8×8 amphibious unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) carrying a smaller TerMIT 2.0 tracked UGV armed with the RPV-18, a lightweight version of the RPV-16 rocket-propelled thermobaric/flamethrower weapon system. Developed by Ukrainian company NODRICS, the MAT1LDA is intended to transport equipment or smaller drones across water obstacles, muddy ground, and other terrain that restricts conventional wheeled vehicles. The TerMIT has a maximum speed of 15 km/h, a travel range of 40 km, and a payload capacity of 327 kg with armor or 398 kg without armor, while the RPV-18 weighs 8 kg compared with 11 to 11.8 kg for the earlier RPV-16. The exhibition follows Tencore's October 11 introduction of Tencore Ecosystem, which combines four UGV families with an autonomous navigation module, and comes as the company expands manufacturing through a German partnership contracted to produce 2,000 TerMIT vehicles for Ukraine within 12 months.

The MAT1LDA uses eight driven wheels and amphibious mobility to transport equipment across soft ground and water obstacles. At AUSA, it carried a TerMIT UGV, proposing an arrangement that combines a larger amphibious carrier for crossing water obstacles with a smaller armed robot capable of operating independently after unloading. The TerMIT's maximum armored vehicle-plus-payload mass is 967 kg, establishing the upper nominal mass MAT1LDA would need to carry if transporting a fully loaded TerMIT. MAT1LDA's maximum payload, amphibious load limit, water speed, and unloading mechanism remain unspecified, preventing confirmation of its ability to cross rivers with the complete armed configuration.

Related topic: Ukraine deploys amphibious UGV on first 40 km frontline supply mission across rivers and marshland

The latest variant of the Termit, the TerMIT 2.0, is an electrically propelled UGV powered by four 73 Ah, 20S battery units. It reaches 15 km/h on paved roads and 12 km/h off-road, with a maximum travel distance of 40 km. At 12 km/h, a 5 km movement takes 25 minutes, excluding obstacles and stops. Installing core armor increases nominal weight from 570 to 640 kg and reduces payload from 398 to 327 kg, maintaining a maximum combined mass close to 970 kg. Its equipment includes daylight, night-vision, and thermal cameras, with ballistic protection assessed under STANAG 2920/AEP-2920 V50, although the specific resistance velocity remains unspecified.

The RPV-18, for its part, was developed by Ukraine's State Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Products as a lighter derivative of the RPV-16, reducing launcher weight from 11-11.8 kg to 8 kg, a 27-32% reduction. The earlier RPV-16 fires a 93 mm thermobaric munition with a 4 kg warhead, using a 900 mm launch tube and reaching targets at 600 m with a maximum range of 1,000 m. In August 2026, Tencore tested an eight-launcher RPV-16 module for the TerMIT with individual and salvo firing, -8° to +20° elevation, ±25° traverse, and movement up to 50°/s. Replacing eight RPV-16 weapons with RPV-18s would save 24-30.4 kg before mounting differences. The eight-launcher RPV-18 was mounted on the TerMIT showcased at AUSA 2026; however, its firing envelope and qualification status remain undisclosed.

The TerMIT has operated with Ukrainian forces since 2023, primarily transporting supplies, evacuating casualties, and recovering damaged equipment. In July 2026, Tencore transferred another 29 units for logistics, evacuation, and strike missions. Recorded operations include extracting a special operations soldier, evacuating two wounded personnel under drone escort, and recovering a damaged robot alongside a casualty following an FPV strike. Tencore has also developed a towing module for immobilized ground robots, although its maximum recovery capacity is unspecified. The RPV-18 configuration would permit remote thermobaric fire support against bunkers, buildings, and fortified positions, but its operational deployment has not been confirmed.

The broader Tencore Ecosystem, introduced on October 11, 2026, combines four vehicle families. The TerMIT provides tracked mobility with a payload capacity of 327 to 398 kg, while the Tor uses a 4×4 wheeled chassis with armored run-flat tires for logistics missions. The MAT1LDA focuses on amphibious 8×8 movement, while the Trax Utility carries a remotely controlled firefighting monitor delivering 300 to 2,000 liters per minute at control distances up to 3 km. A Trax prototype has already supported emergency operations following Russian strikes in Kyiv Oblast. The integration effort targets common training, communications, maintenance, and mission equipment, although the extent of interchangeable components remains unspecified.

For its part, Tencore's AI KIT, introduced in July 2026, provides semi-autonomous driving and recovery functions during communications disruption. Operators can immediately override automatic movement, while the Signal-Loss & 180° Return Logic enables a UGV to reverse direction and retrace its previous route after losing contact. The system monitors speed, heading, battery charge, and signal quality, with configurable driving profiles up to 15 km/h. In May 2026, Tencore was targeting autonomous movement over at least 1 km with road recognition and obstacle avoidance under degraded GPS and radio conditions, followed by the ability to transfer route information between vehicles. A separate agreement signed with Canada's Dominion Dynamics on October 13 will integrate the Canadian company's AuraNet autonomous control system into the TerMIT, with an Arctic-adapted variant also planned for development.

Tencore's manufacturing expansion now includes Germany, Finland, and Canada, alongside its existing Ukrainian production. On June 19, 2026, the company and Germany's Quantum Systems established Quantum Tencore Industries to manufacture 2,000 TerMIT vehicles over 12 months under the German-funded Build with Ukraine initiative, requiring an average output of 167 vehicles monthly to meet the contracted quantity. Tencore has separately declared manufacturing capacity exceeding 500 ground robots per month, while cooperation with Finland's Insta is intended to establish another production operation. On October 13, Tencore and Ottawa-based Dominion Dynamics signed an agreement that covers not only the integration of AuraNet, but also Canadian TerMIT manufacturing, technology transfer, and technician training, with initial Canadian production targeted for 2027. The Canadian partnership announcement placed Tencore's cumulative deliveries above 5,000 UGVs since 2024, a newer figure than the previously reported total exceeding 4,000.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.