Dutch plant for combat-zone robots offers fresh supply pipeline for Ukraine荷兰一家生产战区机器人的工厂为乌克兰提供了新的供应渠道。
The facility has already produced its first THeMIS vehicle for the Dutch government, part of a run of more than 100 such robots pledged by the Netherlands.
COLOGNE, Germany — Estonia’s Milrem Robotics, maker of the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, has opened an assembly line for its multifunction robots in the Netherlands, the company announced on Thursday.
The plant in Born, Netherlands, is run in conjunction with local company VDL Defentec, which specializes in assembling armored vehicles and their electric propulsion.
The facility has already produced its first THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, for the Dutch government, part of a run of more than 100 such robots the Netherlands has pledged to send Ukrainian forces, Milrem said in a statement.
The tracked THeMIS vehicles are configurable for a plethora of battlefield applications, according to the manufacturer’s website. There are weapon-mounted versions for assault missions, sensor-laden variants for spying on enemy movements, and cargo-capable robots for carrying gear or extracting wounded personnel.
Ukrainian forces have used the UGVs since 2022, where soldiers found them to be reliable and effective in combat conditions, according to Milrem.
“The opening of this production line and the handover of the first THeMIS vehicles manufactured in the Netherlands mark an important milestone in our cooperation with the Dutch government and VDL Defentec,” said Milrem Robotics CEO Kuldar Väärsi.
“It demonstrates that Europe’s defense industry is capable of rapidly increasing production capacity and delivering meaningful capabilities to Ukraine,” he added.
The new assembly line is designed for flexibility and rapid scaling, the company notes, meaning it can spit out more robots faster when required.
Unmanned systems in the air and on land have become a defining feature in Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces. Both sides have used aerial drones and UGVs to such a degree that human soldiers cannot move on the front line without being immediately detected and targeted.
Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He is based in Cologne, Germany.
德国科隆——爱沙尼亚的 Milrem Robotics 公司（THeMIS 无人地面车辆的制造商）周四宣布，该公司已在荷兰开设了一条多功能机器人装配线。
位于荷兰博恩的这家工厂与当地公司 VDL Defentec 合作运营，该公司专门从事装甲车辆及其电力推进系统的组装。
米尔雷姆在一份声明中表示，该工厂已经为荷兰政府生产了第一辆THeMIS无人地面车辆（UGV），这是荷兰承诺向乌克兰军队提供的100多辆此类机器人的一部分。
据制造商网站介绍，履带式THeMIS车辆可配置用于多种战场应用。其中包括用于突击任务的武器搭载型、用于侦察敌情的传感器搭载型，以及用于运送装备或撤离伤员的载货机器人。
据 Milrem 称，乌克兰军队自 2022 年以来一直在使用无人地面车辆，士兵们发现它们在战斗条件下可靠有效。
“这条生产线的开通以及在荷兰制造的首批 THeMIS 车辆的交付，标志着我们与荷兰政府和 VDL Defentec 的合作迈出了重要一步，”Milrem Robotics 首席执行官 Kuldar Väärsi 表示。
“这表明欧洲国防工业有能力迅速提高产能，并向乌克兰提供有意义的能力，”他补充道。
该公司指出，新的装配线设计灵活且可快速扩展，这意味着它可以根据需要更快地生产出更多机器人。
空中和地面无人系统已成为乌克兰抵御俄罗斯军队的关键要素。双方都大量使用无人机和无人地面车辆，以至于前线士兵一旦行动，就会立即被发现并成为攻击目标。
塞巴斯蒂安·斯普伦格是《防务新闻》欧洲版副主编，负责报道该地区的防务市场状况，以及美欧在防务和全球安全领域的合作和多国投资。此前，他曾担任《防务新闻》执行主编。他现居德国科隆。