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Estonia’s Milrem Unveils THeMIS UGV with H-POMBS Minefield Breaching System at Enforce Tac 2026.
Milrem Robotics introduced a new THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle fitted with the H-POMBS minefield breaching module at Enforce Tac 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany. The system is designed to clear anti-personnel mines and obstacles remotely, supporting safer combat engineering operations on heavily mined battlefields.
At Enforce Tac 2026, held 23 to 25 February in Nuremberg, Milrem Robotics unveiled a new configuration of its THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle integrating the H-POMBS minefield breaching module developed in cooperation with KNDS Deutschland and Wescom Group. The system is engineered to create safe lanes through anti-personnel minefields and man-made obstacles while keeping operators at standoff distance from explosive threats. The debut reflects growing operational demand across NATO and partner forces for unmanned combat engineering tools capable of functioning in highly surveilled, drone-saturated, and heavily mined environments.
Milrem Robotics unveiled a new THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle equipped with the H-POMBS minefield breaching system at Enforce Tac 2026 in Germany, expanding remote combat engineering capabilities for clearing anti-personnel mines and battlefield obstacles (Picture Source: Army Recognition)
At the heart of this new solution is the THeMIS, a tracked, hybrid unmanned ground platform conceived from the outset as a modular “tool carrier” for front-line units. The UGV can be configured for combat, intelligence, logistics or engineering missions depending on the payload, and is already in service or trials with a number of European and NATO armed forces. Its open architecture and multi-mission design allow rapid integration of different mission modules and sensors, while remote control and autonomous navigation functions are intended to keep operators under cover and away from direct fire or explosive threats. In the minefield-breaching role, the platform provides the mobility, power and stability necessary to carry heavy explosive line charges such as H-POMBS and position them precisely on the edge of minefields or obstacle belts.
The H-POMBS (Heavy Portable Obstacle Minefield Breaching System) itself is a line-charge system originally conceived as a man-portable solution carried in rucksacks by combat engineers. In its baseline form, the system consists of a detonating cord with distributed explosive charges, packed into two backpacks and deployed across the target area by a rocket. Once in place and detonated, it clears a narrow but continuous lane through mines, booby traps and other explosive obstacles. Wescom describes H-POMBS as clearing a path of around 0.5 metres in width over a distance of more than 50 metres; in the THeMIS configuration, each system is specified to open approximately a 54-metre lane, with the module capable of carrying two such systems for a total of two shots. The system has been used operationally, including in Ukraine, to clear routes through heavily mined terrain and reach critical infrastructure, underscoring its relevance for modern high-intensity conflicts marked by extensive use of anti-personnel and improvised mines.
Transposed onto the THeMIS platform, H-POMBS becomes an unmanned minefield breaching capability intended to reduce the exposure of combat engineers and assault troops. The minefield breaching module integrates two H-POMBS systems with a payload arrangement that provides two 54-metre shots, giving commanders the option to clear either successive lanes in depth or two separate passages. Alignment of the vehicle in pitch and roll is handled via the THeMIS control interface to ensure that the line charge is projected accurately over the minefield. Both the hatch opening mechanism and the firing sequence are remotely controlled, allowing the entire operation, from final positioning to detonation, to be conducted from a protected position.
Preparation time is given as around five minutes per system, or ten minutes for both shots, enabling relatively rapid breaching of obstacles under time pressure. The module is protected against small-calibre fire, and the clearing width is stated as about 0.5 metres, depending on factors such as mine type, soil conditions and other environmental variables. Optional equipment such as a laser warning system and smoke grenade launchers can be added to improve survivability when operating in contested areas under observation or fire.
The key operational purpose of this configuration is to create safe passages through anti-personnel minefields and man-made obstacles without requiring soldiers to physically carry high explosive charges into hostile zones, where they are exposed not only to blast effects but also to enemy observation, sniper fire and artillery. With THeMIS acting as the carrier, engineers can send the UGV forward to the edge of a suspected mine belt, deploy the H-POMBS line charge and initiate the firing sequence at stand-off distance. This approach directly addresses long-standing concerns around casualty rates in breaching operations, which historically have forced assaulting troops to close with minefields under fire.
The dual-shot capacity adds tactical flexibility: units can clear a primary assault lane and retain a second shot for redundancy, for widening the corridor, or for opening a separate route for follow-on forces and logistic vehicles. The possibility of integrating additional countermeasures, for example, smoke to conceal the breaching action or laser warning sensors to detect targeting by enemy systems, aligns the module with the reality of modern contested environments, where minefields are frequently covered by surveillance drones and precision indirect fire.
Beyond the immediate tactical benefits, the THeMIS with H-POMBS module illustrates how European industry is converging around unmanned solutions for counter-mobility and battlefield clearance. H-POMBS has already demonstrated its effectiveness in Ukraine, where it has been employed to open narrow, predictable lanes through dense minefields and improvised obstacles as forces manoeuvre around critical infrastructure and fortified positions.
The integration of this proven explosive effect onto a robotic carrier such as THeMIS reflects a broader trend: rather than asking soldiers to adapt to ever more dangerous environments, militaries are seeking to transfer the most hazardous phases of an operation, like the first breach into a monitored minefield, to unmanned platforms. In this context, the collaboration between an Estonian robotics specialist, a German land-systems prime and a British explosive-systems manufacturer, showcased at an event like Enforce Tac, points to a wider movement toward multinational industrial solutions in the field of combat engineering and force protection.
The THeMIS with H-POMBS minefield breaching module presented at Enforce Tac 2026 in Nuremberg combines a mature man-portable line-charge system with a modular unmanned ground vehicle to deliver an automated breaching capability tailored to today’s contested and heavily mined battlefields. By enabling remote deployment of two 54-metre breaching shots, with quick preparation times and options for additional protection systems, the solution aims to create safe passages through minefields and obstacles while limiting the exposure of soldiers to explosives and enemy fire. As armed forces continue to confront large-scale minefields and improvised explosive barriers, systems of this type are likely to occupy a growing place in combat engineer units, illustrating the shift toward unmanned, modular platforms for high-risk tasks at the forward edge of operations.