DSEI 2025: Milrem's UGV And Moog's Launcher Team Up For Autonomous Air Defense On The Battlefield.

During DSEI UK 2025, Milrem Robotics and Moog showcased an advanced integration of unmanned ground technology and short-range air defense capabilities, demonstrating how robotics is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in modern warfare. The THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), already recognized for its modularity, was displayed with Moog’s Flexible Mission Platform and Thales’ missile solutions, creating a mobile and autonomous counter-air threat system. This development addresses a pressing need as drones, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft redefine the aerial dimension of today’s conflicts.
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The THeMIS UGV with Moog’s Flexible Mission Platform and Thales’ missile integration represents more than a new product, it is a clear indication of how robotics, autonomy, and legacy weapon systems are converging to meet modern security challenges (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The showcased system is based on the THeMIS tracked UGV, which has been deployed by multiple armed forces as a transport, support, and combat platform. In this latest configuration, the vehicle integrates the Moog Flexible Mission Platform (FMP), a system that enables rapid installation of diverse guided weapons, combined with Thales missile technology and a Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher (SVULL). The visible loadout at DSEI included a four-pack launcher for FIM-92 Stinger missiles, positioning the UGV within the Mobile Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) concept. This architecture, already operational on manned vehicles like the U.S. Stryker A1 8x8, has now been miniaturized and adapted to an unmanned and highly mobile robotic vehicle.

The THeMIS platform itself is designed for modular integration, capable of carrying different payloads including remote weapon stations, sensors, or logistical supplies. Its tracked mobility allows it to operate in challenging terrains where wheeled vehicles would be restricted. By coupling it with an air defense package, Milrem Robotics and Moog effectively transform a support UGV into a frontline counter-air system that can operate without risking crew lives. Compared to larger systems, this unmanned solution offers high flexibility, reduced signature, and the ability to complement traditional air defense networks by filling gaps in close-range coverage.

Operationally, the THeMIS has already seen deployment in conflict zones, including Ukraine, where it has been used in logistics and casualty evacuation roles. This combat-proven background adds credibility to its new role as an air defense enabler. The system’s ability to integrate the same missile types as manned vehicles, while operating remotely, extends the doctrine of distributed and survivable air defense. Unlike conventional platforms, it can be deployed in forward or high-risk areas, offering a persistent and expendable shield against aerial threats.

From a strategic perspective, the pairing of unmanned platforms with M-SHORAD weapons has significant implications. The rise of drone warfare, as evidenced in Ukraine and the Middle East, underscores the vulnerability of traditional forces to swarming and low-cost aerial systems. A robotic air defense UGV provides NATO and allied forces with a scalable and adaptive tool that can be deployed in larger numbers than crewed vehicles. This could influence not only battlefield tactics but also procurement strategies, shifting emphasis toward autonomous force multipliers that can operate in contested environments.

The presence of Milrem Robotics and Moog at DSEI with this joint solution highlights a growing industrial trend: modularity and interoperability as foundations for future land warfare systems. By demonstrating that Stinger missiles can be effectively mounted on an unmanned vehicle without reducing effectiveness, the partnership showcases a path toward integrating legacy weapon systems into next-generation autonomous architectures. This approach could redefine how armies secure air defense in expeditionary or high-intensity operations, providing a distributed and resilient shield against aerial threats.

The THeMIS UGV with Moog’s Flexible Mission Platform and Thales’ missile integration represents more than a new product, it is a clear indication of how robotics, autonomy, and legacy weapon systems are converging to meet modern security challenges. Its modularity, survivability, and capacity to expand existing M-SHORAD doctrines mark it as a potential game-changer for future battlefields where mobility and protection against aerial threats are increasingly inseparable.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.