Russians want access to modern military technologies and offer a reward of 1 million Russian rubles (16 thousand euros) for the capture of the Estonian military robot THeMIS.

“TheMIS” is a development of the Estonian company Milrem Robotics. It is designed to take out wounded soldiers from under fire. The platform is equipped with cameras that allow checking dangerous areas without risking the lives of military personnel. “THeMIS” is controlled using a remote control. The platform can be programmed to move between different points.

Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) announced an award for a captured Estonian-made RTK. Military personnel or representatives of law enforcement agencies who manage to obtain such a sample in a tolerable condition will receive a reward of 1 million rubles.

The extracted THeMIS should be handed over to the Department of Defense for study. Based on the results of the preliminary inspection and examination of this sample, CAST will pay the due fee. It is reported that such a proposal has been agreed with the relevant state bodies.

THeMIS is a self-propelled tracked platform with a high degree of autonomy. On such a chassis, various payloads can be mounted, from cargo platforms to combat modules.

The THeMIS chassis is built on the basis of two side armored hulls with caterpillar propellers, between which there is a platform for the target load. The product is equipped with a hybrid power plant, including an unknown type of diesel engine, a battery and traction motors. Chassis tracks cover side hulls; above them there are light shelves with the possibility of mounting the necessary tools.

THeMIS has a length of 2.4 m with a width of 2 m and a height of 1.15 m. The curb weight is 1635 kg. Normal load capacity is defined as 750 kg, maximum – 1200 kg. The chassis can reach speeds up to 20 km/h. The use of all units of the power plant ensures operation for 15 hours. Batteries last for 90 minutes. work without diesel. When installing certain loads, the operating time is reduced in accordance with their energy consumption.

sion sensors. Data from them enters the control system with a high degree of autonomy. The machine can detect various features of the road and take them into account when driving. There is a self-driving mode on a given route. In addition, it is possible to directly control the operator via radio. Combat modules or other payload options can be integrated into the standard control system.

Reasons for interest

RTK THeMIS is of obvious interest to our army and industry. If it is possible to obtain such a machine as a whole or in a damaged form, it will be carefully studied and, if possible, tested. This will allow you to collect all the necessary information, as well as draw some conclusions.

First of all, studying the trophy will help you understand why this specimen is so popular. Ukraine is already the 12th customer of THeMIS, and before it, this test equipment was purchased by more industrially and militarily developed countries. 7 customer countries are members of NATO, incl. France, which even deployed its RTKs as part of the operation in Mali. Having studied the resulting complex, our specialists will be able to make some assumptions and conclusions regarding the development of robotics in the Alliance.

THeMIS is also interesting from a technical point of view. First of all, the trophy will allow you to determine the level of development of technologies that are the basis of one of the most advanced modern projects. It cannot be ruled out that the Estonian development really has a high potential, and foreign interest in it is justified.

In the course of working with the trophy, Russian specialists will carefully study the control system used and associated instruments. RTK THeMIS is distinguished by a high degree of autonomy and has repeatedly shown its capabilities during tests. It is necessary to determine the technological basis of such achievements.

Perhaps our industry will pay attention to other features of the Estonian platform. Curious solutions may underlie the overall architecture of the complex, hybrid power plant, etc. Possibilities for integrating target equipment or special loads should also be explored.

Probably, certain technologies and ideas of the THeMIS project have a high potential. Accordingly, they should not only be studied, but also adopted or rethought based on their own experience. Further, they can find application in domestic projects of similar RTKs. At the same time, it is possible that our specialists will not find anything new for themselves in the captured sample.

It should be noted that working with a foreign model in any case will be useful for our military and industry. They will be able to find out the current state of affairs in foreign robotics, identify the most useful ideas and technologies, and evaluate their prospects. All this information in one way or another can affect the development of our projects.