The European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) has assigned 30.6 million euros to the iMUGS project for the development of an unmanned ground system. This makes it one of the European Commission’s biggest defense investments to date.

The Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project will be carried out by a consortium primed by Milrem Robotics, with another 11 hi-tech defense firms, including GMV.

The common development of this vehicle will build from Milrem Robotics’s previous program called THEMis, with the addition of various mission systems and autonomy solutions. The aim is to develop a valid scalable architecture applicable to both manned and unmanned vehicles, with the idea of standardizing Europe’s ground and air systems and its command and control and communications systems, sensors, payloads and autonomy algorithms.

Photo: NEXTER

The system will consist of a robust and modular ground vehicle fitted with an electronic-warfare-resistant command, control and communications system and secure autonomous mobility software to allow the operator to control many different ground and air platforms securely and simultaneously. iMUGS will include several components: system cybersecurity, autonomous mobility, advanced communications systems and further driving-related developments plus manned-unmanned teaming (MUT) including swarms.

GMV will be coordinator of the command and control and C4ISR interoperability subproject. GMV is bringing to the table its wealth of experience in C2 ground systems and JISR interoperability (JISR =Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance).

GMV’s participation in iMUGS is based on the experience it has built up in C2 ground systems, dismounted soldier C2 systems and JISR interoperability, areas where GMV is one of the leading companies in Europe. GMV is the leading supplier of Artillery and Dismounted Soldier Command and Control Systems for the Spanish MoD. Since 2016 it has been responsible for maintenance and upgrading of the EUCCIS C2 system of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

iMUGS will enable European countries to use unmanned vehicles with logistics and ISR functions, trimming the load and increasing troop security.

With this joint initiative the European Defence Fund meets member states’ requirements and draws on the skills of Europe’s industry to boost defense capabilities and strategic autonomy.