Estonian Company Milrem Robotics has released video footage on its Youtube account showed its Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) deployed in Mali for the Operation Barkhane with Estonian soldiers.

The THeMIS in cargo configuration used by Estonian soldiers in Mali. (Picture source Milrem)

The use of the Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System THeMIS in Mali is an opportunity for the Estonian Company Milrem Robotics to test its UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) in Mali’s very hot climate conditions. It's also an opportunity for the Estonian armed forces to gain experience in the use of unmanned systems and enhance their operational capabilities.

The THeMIS used by the Estonian army in Mali is configured in cargo version offering the possibility to carried military equipment with a maximum payload of 750 kg. It can be towed by military vehicle at a maximum road speed of 80 km/h, when the UGV is not used in autonomous conditions. it can be also used to pull armored vehicles out of a ditch, sand or mud with a maximum pulling force of 21,000 N (2,150 kg).

The Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System, or THeMIS for short, is the first hybrid fully modular unmanned ground vehicle in the world. The vehicle is intended to provide support for dismounted troops by serving as a transport platform, remote weapon station, IED detection and disposal unit, and much more. The vehicle’s open architecture gives it the multi-mission capability much needed on the modern battlefield

The mission of Estonian soldiers in Mali is to ensure the security of the French base in Gao and its vicinity. Operation Barkhane is a French-run counter-insurgency operation in the Sahel region. Its aim is to support the warfare against Islamic extremists in five countries (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad).