UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES ON OPERATION BARKHANE IN MALI Captain Taavi Karotamm

UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES ON OPERATION BARKHANE IN MALI

Captain Taavi Karotamm Staff Officer of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces

Estonian infantry platoons serving in the French-led Operation Barkhane in Mali have tested the unmanned ground vehicle THeMIS and tried its various uses in military operations. THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System) was developed by Milrem Robotics, an Estonian defence industry company.

Lieutenant Taavi Eesalu, the commander of the infantry platoon Estpla-32, who used the UGV in Mali, estimates that an unmanned ground vehicle of this size and capability can support an armoured infantry platoon in several ways. In his own experience, using the device on operations provides additional capability, which in some situations may be critical to the platoon. HARSH CONDITIONS The testing of THeMIS in Mali began in May 2019. For the first months, the system was used at a military base near Gao city to carry out various logistical tasks. Simultaneously, various tests were carried to to evaluate wear and durability of the machine in harsh conditions of Mali, while at the same time pursuing product development by adapting the machine’s design and components to hot and dusty conditions.

Mali’s environment differs from Estonia in particular due to its high temperature, high amount of dust, and sharp volcanic rocks. Initial testing of the machine showed that it successfully withstands the described conditions, as well possible attacks. The machine was at the heart of a terrorist attack on July 22, only a couple of metres away from the suicide vehicle, with the explosion having direct impact on the system.

The explosion mainly affected the body of the machine, yet the critical components of it withstood nearly 200 kilos of explosive material, and the UGV remained operational. CREATIVITY IS THE LIMIT Estpla-32, which took over responsibility in August, continued to implement THeMIS by using the machine on patrols, thereby taking testing to a new level. While the previous months involved testing the machine’s performance in tough conditions, Estpla-32 began to identify the best ways to use the UGV during operations.

THeMIS was first used on a foot patrol in the city of Gao, September 23, during which the focus was on testing basic procedures for involving the UGV on a patrol as well identifying potential issues and bottle necks. The first patrol confirmed that involving a robot on a foot patrol does not require major tactical reorganization, as it is similar to patrols with armoured vehicles. However, the interest of the public may mean

that even greater emphasis needs to be put on security of the robot and surrounding people.

In an environment such as Mali, it is extremely important to ensure the safety of children rushing to see the machine, as a UGV weighing nearly one and a half tons can pose a serious threat to an inattentive road user. Personnel that are using the machine must also ensure that equipment loaded on the vehicle remains securely attached and under the control of the service members throughout the operation.

Further tests with THeMIS confirmed that this UGV could provide additional support to a unit that was on foot and unarmoured. In addition to carrying ammunition, water, food, and other equipment, THeMIS or its equivalent can support the unit with observation or casualty evacuation capabilities. This would mean removing just one soldier (operator) from the battlefield and reducing the amount of time and energy lost in transporting the casualty.

The UGV can also support the unit exclusively with firepower (for example, if a 12.7 mm heavy machi

ne gun or Javelin anti-tank missile is installed on the machine). THeMIS has an advantage over armoured personnel carriers in confined, narrow, and soft terrain areas that require the unit to move away from the APC, as a UGV could be taken along.

Estpla-32 has used THeMIS on patrols both coupled to the APC and operated remotely. The platoon also successfully tested fitting the UGV on an a Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, as well as towing a 22-ton Sisu APC and 32-ton VBCI infantry fighting vehicle. Thanks to the small size of THeMIS, its signature in night-vision or athermal device is modest, and even at 100 metres it is difficult to distinguish the UGV in low vegetation. COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE As of the end of 2019, the Milrem UGV has covered nearly 1,000 km in Mali. Over six months, a noticeable amount of ideas for product improvement was gathered, many of which have already reached the product development and more efficient implementation

phase. While the initial plan was to test THeMIS for up to four months, due to the successful outcome the EDF and Milrem Robotics extended their cooperation period to 2020.

“The arrival of unmanned ground systems on the battlefield is not a question of if, but when,” says Lt. Col. Sten Allik, the senior staff officer of the Planning Division, Headquarters of the EDF. “I have seen both in Estonia and Mali how the unit’s way of thinking changes when innovative technology is actually tested and made meaningful. Without fake modesty or exaggeration, Milrem Robotics and the EDF have become a world-renowned reference in topics related to unmanned ground systems.”

The UGV platform developed in Estonia also serves as the basis for the unmanned ground vehicle projects of 14 European Union countries, approved by EU defence ministers in 2018 under the PESCO (EU Permanent Structured Cooperation) and funded by member states through the European Defence Fund.