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Hanwha and Milrem Robotics Expand Cooperation on Unmanned Ground Systems in South Korea, Australia and New Zealand

Friday, October 9th, 2026

Milrem Robotics and Hanwha are expanding their cooperation in unmanned ground systems, with the THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) at the centre of new initiatives in South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Hanwha has acquired two THeMIS platforms for separate initiatives in South Korea and Australia, while the companies’ cooperation also establishes a framework for broader THeMIS activities in Australia and New Zealand.

In South Korea, a THeMIS UGV will be used in multiple R&D projects in which Hanwha is participating. The platform will contribute to the development and evaluation of advanced unmanned and autonomous ground capabilities.

In Australia and New Zealand, the cooperation will establish a framework for Hanwha to market, pursue local production, sell and sustain THeMIS locally. This includes developing an Australian supply chain, building local maintenance and upgrade capabilities, and integrating payloads and subsystems to meet the specific requirements of regional customers.

Milrem Robotics will contribute localisation planning, technology transfer, technical know-how and engineering expertise to enable these activities.

“Together with Hanwha, we are creating a strong foundation for expanding unmanned and autonomous capabilities across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “THeMIS provides a proven and highly adaptable unmanned platform, while Hanwha brings significant local industrial capabilities, market knowledge and expertise in the development and support of advanced defence systems. By combining these strengths, we can address regional requirements locally and build the capabilities needed to integrate, produce and sustain these systems in the region.”

The cooperation also includes an option to integrate Milrem Robotics’ Intelligent Function Integration Kit (MIFIK) with Hanwha’s unmanned and manned platforms. MIFIK enables the addition of capabilities such as autonomous navigation and mission execution to different types of vehicles.

The new initiatives build on existing cooperation between Hanwha and Milrem Robotics. The companies have previously agreed to cooperate on ground robotics initiatives in South Korea and are jointly pursuing Romania’s unmanned ground vehicle programme, including opportunities for localised production and industrial participation.

Posted in Industry, International, Press Release, Robotics | No Comments »

BLADE Selected for Phase II of GroundBreaker 1 Demonstration

Thursday, October 8th, 2026

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BLADE announced today that HDT Robotics, LLC, doing business as BLADE, has been selected to advance to Phase II of the GroundBreaker 1 unmanned ground vehicle demonstration with its Hunter WOLF multi-mission unmanned ground vehicle.

The selection follows the Government’s technical evaluation of BLADE’s Phase I solution brief and advances Hunter WOLF to a live hardware demonstration scheduled for October 19-23, 2026, at Camp Grafton, North Dakota.

GroundBreaker 1 is designed to evaluate unmanned ground vehicle technologies for potential employment across tactical and non-tactical missions. During Phase II, Government evaluators will assess technology maturity, operational readiness and cross-domain interoperability.

“Hunter WOLF was built for exactly this kind of challenge,” said Tom Van Doren, President, Robotics Sector at BLADE. “This is a mature, mission-ready platform that has been tested alongside warfighters in demanding environments. GroundBreaker 1 gives us the opportunity to demonstrate why the Hunter WOLF is ready to support the warfighter now.”

The Hunter WOLF is a multi-mission unmanned ground vehicle engineered to reduce soldier workload, extend operational reach and keep personnel farther from dangerous tasks. Its adaptable architecture supports missions including tactical logistics, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, communications support and other mission-critical applications.

Designed for complex and austere environments, Hunter WOLF combines high payload capacity, off-road mobility, onboard power and autonomous and remote-control capabilities. The system has been evaluated through military exercises and training events and has supported operational use in Ukraine, providing BLADE with real-world insight into evolving unmanned ground requirements.

The GroundBreaker 1 selection comes as the Department of War places increasing emphasis on rapidly fielding autonomous and robotic systems capable of operating alongside warfighters. Following Phase II, companies whose demonstrations are successfully evaluated may be invited to Phase III to submit a full proposal for a Prototype Other Transaction Authority award.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Press Release, Robotics | No Comments »

xTechHumanoid Winners Advance Military Exploration of Emerging Humanoid Capabilities

Wednesday, September 30th, 2026

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army named five companies as winners of the xTechHumanoid competition on September 11, 2026, capping an effort to assess how emerging commercial humanoid technologies could contribute to future military operations.

As the Army looks to robotics and autonomy to reduce Soldier exposure to dangerous and physically demanding tasks, preserve combat power, and give commanders more options, humanoid systems represent a growing area of exploration. That work extends across the Joint Force through the Humanoid Community of Collaboration (HCoC), established in December 2023, to advance the technical development and operational integration of humanoid capabilities.

In partnership with HCoC, Army FUZE xTech launched xTechHumanoid to identify promising commercial approaches and establish a technical baseline for an emerging capability area. The competition offered Army and Joint Force stakeholders a direct look at the maturity of technologies being developed across the commercial humanoid robotics market.

Soldier observes field evaluation of Alex, a humanoid robotic system developed by the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition during xTechHumanoid finals“Humanoid robots are part of a broader autonomy push to increase the depth and breadth of robotic platforms and components industry can provide for a range of missions,” said U.S. Army Chief Technology Officer Dr. Alex Miller. “We are identifying the problems, mission needs, and opportunities to enable our formations with the right mix of tools. xTech is our method of surveying the industry landscape and fast-tracking promising technology rather than falling victim to years-long studies.”

The competition drew 103 white paper submissions spanning baseline humanoid forms and advanced subsystem technologies. Ten companies advanced as finalists, with nine ultimately demonstrating their technologies September 9–10 at Marine Corps Base Quantico before military leaders, technical experts, and evaluators.

Following the demonstrations, the Army selected five xTechHumanoid winners:

ACEs Group, LLC – an integrated power system designed to address energy needs across humanoid robotic systems with scalable energy storage technologies for applications ranging from larger operational infrastructure to individual robot batteries

Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition – Alex, a humanoid robot featuring impact-resilient actuators, ballistic protection, and hybrid autonomy combining artificial intelligence and human control for complex and dangerous missions

Hydroplane Ltd. – a lightweight, compact mobile power-generation systems designed to provide long-duration power in contested logistics environments

RAS Labs, Inc. – highly sensitive fingertip tactile sensors designed to enable robotic systems to detect force, object form, slip, and other physical interactions

Velocity Explorations – software that builds on the company’s command-and-control technology to translate trusted information and command intent into discrete actions for humanoid robotic systems

xTechHumanoid winners gather with Army FUZE xTech and HCoC leadership following the awards ceremonyFor participating companies, xTechHumanoid created a direct connection between commercial technology development and operational demand, providing opportunities to challenge their solutions, sharpen their understanding of mission needs, and better identify where their capabilities could deliver military value.

“The xTech competition is really an interesting and unique one because it allows you to pressure test your technology in a field exercise paradigm,” said Alec Leesberg, president and co-founder of Velocity Explorations.

RAS Labs, Inc. pitching its tactile sensor technology to competition evaluators and experts“Do it,” said Dr. Anita Sengupta, founder and CEO of Hydroplane Limited. “Competing against other companies makes you better, connects you to a network of people across the military and industry, and ultimately allows you to develop a product for a real customer.”

Hydroplane Limited demonstrating its mobile power generation technologyWith the competition complete, xTechHumanoid provides the Army and Joint Force a clearer picture of both the progress commercial industry has made in humanoid robotics and the technical challenges that remain, helping inform where continued development and experimentation can deliver the greatest value to the warfighter. HCoC is already building on those insights through its next lines of effort, including work to address power and energy constraints that could shape the operational employment of humanoid and other robotic systems.

About the Army FUZE xTech Program

The Army FUZE xTech Program is the Army’s premier tool for scouting and accelerating dual-use technologies that directly enhance Soldier readiness and mission success. Through dynamic prize competitions like xTech|Search, xTech identifies breakthrough solutions and opens doors for nontraditional companies to engage with and deliver capabilities to the Army. Since its launch in 2018, xTech has awarded over $3 million in non-dilutive cash prizes across 5+ competitions – fueling innovation pipelines and delivering transformative technologies that matter on the battlefield.

Learn more at the Army PIT website: pit.army.mil/pathway/xtech

By Eleanor Kent, Army FUZE

Posted in Army, Contracts, Guest Post, Robotics | 1 Comment »

American Rheinmetall Selected to Support US Marine Corps with Advanced Mission Master SP Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Sunday, September 13th, 2026

Auburn Hills, MI — American Rheinmetall has been awarded a $7.28M contract to support the U.S. Marine Corps through the manufacture and delivery of Mission Master SP Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles (A-UGVs), associated Marine Kits, and supporting equipment. The procurement is being executed through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) with ADS Inc. serving as the prime contractor in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL).

The effort includes the delivery of 12 Mission Master SP A-UGVs and five amphibious kits, marking the most advanced Mission Master configuration developed by Rheinmetall to date. The vehicles will support continued operational evaluation, experimentation, and capability development as the Marine Corps expands its autonomous logistics and expeditionary mobility initiatives.

“This award represents a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with the United States Marine Corps,” said Matt Warnick, CEO, American Rheinmetall. “For more than four years, we have worked side-by-side with Marines to mature, refine, and advance autonomous ground capabilities. The Mission Master SP captures the full breadth of those lessons learned and showcases Rheinmetall’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge, reliable, and mission-ready autonomous systems.”

President and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada Pietro Mazzei said, “This collaboration between Rheinmetall colleagues enables the U.S. Marine Corps to deploy the Mission Master SP in multi-domain environments and continue to push boundaries of Canadian innovation”.

A New Phase in Marine Corps Autonomous Capability Development

The new Mission Master SPvehicles incorporate Rheinmetall’s PATH autonomy architecture, expanded vehicle characterization, and modular payload integration. The systems also feature the Marine Kit—an upgrade enabling reliable, extended amphibious operations in littoral environments. The combined enhancements represent the latest evolution of the Mission Master family, driven by extensive user feedback, developmental testing, live-fire events, and operational experimentation.

The procurement includes a comprehensive suite of program management, engineering support, logistics coordination, technical documentation, operator training, and acceptance testing. Work will be led by American Rheinmetall in the United States with engineering and production support from Rheinmetall Canada, the original equipment manufacturer and technical partner.

Supporting Strategic U.S. Autonomy Initiatives

This effort aligns closely with American Rheinmetall’s strategy to expand U.S.-based autonomous ground vehicle capabilities and advance long-term technology transfer. It also supports the ongoing development of American Rheinmetall’s Maine facility as a future U.S. Advanced Land Autonomy Center of Excellence (ALACOE) focused on PATH integration, production, sustainment, and lifecycle support.

While this procurement does not immediately require facility expansion, it represents an important step toward future U.S. manufacturing, workforce growth, and long-term sustainment activities.

Strengthening Marine Corps Readiness and Modernization

The Mission Master SP systems will contribute to the Marine Corps’ efforts to enhance autonomous logistics, enable distributed operations, and extend operational reach while reducing personnel exposure to risk. The vehicles are designed to support emerging concepts related to expeditionary advanced base operations and multi-domain operations.

This effort builds on several major milestones, including:

• More than four years of collaboration with the U.S. Marine Corps

• Successful fielding of twelve Mission Master systems supporting Fleet Marine Force operations

• Development and integration of the Marine Kit for amphibious tasks

• Integration and fielding of the Fieldranger Remote Weapon Station

• Ongoing expansion of PATH autonomous capability development

• Future establishment of American Rheinmetall’s ALACOE initiative

This award reflects the deep collaboration between American Rheinmetall, Rheinmetall Canada, and the U.S. Marine Corps, and underscores the collective commitment to advancing autonomous ground technologies that empower Marines in the field. With the Mission Master SP, American Rheinmetall is poised to continue supporting the Corps’ modernization objectives with proven, mission?ready systems.

www.rheinmetall.com/americanrheinmetall

Posted in Industry, Maritime, Press Release, Robotics, Unmanned Systems, USMC | No Comments »

DoW Drone OTA Consortium Seeks Candidate Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) for GroundBreaker 1 Demonstration

Wednesday, August 26th, 2026

In an effort to field Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) to the joint force, the Department of War Other Transactional Authority Consortium has asked industry for white papers for complete UGV systems to enable employment by Warfighters in both tactical and non-tactical environments.

Based on what they learn , they will invite select technologies to participate in a Joint Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) demonstration exercise titled “GroundBreaker 1” at Camp Grafton, North Dakota, in mid-October 2026.

There, the systems will support physical operational assessments, iterative technology enhancements, and direct integration with current DoW systems.

A Ghost Robotics Vision 60 Q-UGV ground robot does a simulated route mission at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 17, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaiah Pedrazzini)

The Government is specifically seeking UGVs which can perform one or more of the following core mission profiles:

• Reconnaissance and Surveillance (RSTA)

• Transport of Supplies and Equipment (Tactical Logistics)

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) & Route Clearance

• Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations

• Force Protection & Perimeter Security

• Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC)

• Other Support / Multi-Domain Operations: Other capabilities are welcome with the provision that a concept of employment is included in the submission packet that describes the operational gap the demonstrated capability will fill for the DoW.

Furthermore, systems must have these capabilities, at a minimum:

• Navigation & Autonomy: The ability for manual or autonomous obstacle avoidance.

• Range, Endurance & Mobility: All-terrain mobility.

• Interoperability: Open-system, hardware-agnostic software architectures (e.g., Robot Operating System-Military (ROS-M) compatible) that seamlessly integrate with DoW networks and Command and Control (C2) systems.

The use of the OTA framework bypasses traditional, lengthy acquisition cycles, ensuring that these advanced technologies reach the warfighter at the speed of relevance.

However, because they are using the OTA consortium, this effort is limited solely to consortium members only. While most everyone who is in that business has already jumped through the hoops required to be legible, you can still apply by submitting an application to DMConsortium@army.mil.

Vendors have until Sep 04, 2026 5:00 PM CDT to submit their white papers. See full details at sam.gov.

Posted in Acquisition, Advertiser, Robotics | No Comments »

Armaments Center Partners with Industry to Explore Concepts for Integrating Lethal Payloads to Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Wednesday, August 26th, 2026

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — Tomorrow’s battlefield is expected to pair automated vehicles and artificial intelligence with human Soldiers, and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center helping explore what that future might look like through controlled experimentation with industry partners.

Via a cooperative research and development agreement with HDT Robotics, LLC, doing business as BLADE, the Armaments Center supported the successful delivery of an armed Hunter WOLF unmanned ground vehicle to the 3rd Mobile Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for a technical demonstration. The Autonomous Weapons Architectures & Controls Branch Chief Andrew Wilson noted that this highlights both the Armaments Center’s teamwork with an established partner, expertise in its field and ability to swiftly deliver a product to the Soldier.

Originally designed for logistics and supply transport, the Hunter WOLF UGV was experimented with as an active tactical asset. It is equipped with a remotely operated .50-caliber machine gun on a wireless Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, known as CROWS, enabling a rapid response weapons system that does not need an operator physically present and in the line of fire.

The Armaments Center’s Strategic Advisor to Project Acquisition Executive Layered Protection Josiah Fay, said this came together as a perfect storm — the 101st was “hungry for robots” for logistical matters. Separately, the Armaments Center was pre-positioned to demonstrate CROWS with wireless control ready for Soldier operation and reached out to industry.

BLADE responded and within a few weeks Soldiers were being trained on the system. BLADE provided the platform and its associated training while the Armaments Center provided its experience in weaponry, armaments integration, and lethality training to jointly provide the complete capability.

By deploying an armed, wirelessly controlled UGV, Soldiers can maintain a dominant battlefield presence while remaining safely out of harm’s way, granting commanders significant tactical flexibility. The platform’s integrated electronics significantly enhance situational awareness, battlefield planning, foresight, and mission execution, and its transport capabilities relieve Soldiers of the burdens of carrying heavy weaponry.

The 101st Airborne Division experimented with the Hunter WOLF in April at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The Armaments Center has reached out to the division to obtain Soldier feedback and operational performance, which will allow for the center to improve its future performance.

According to Fay, the Armaments Center continues its efforts to reduce Soldier cognitive load by adding autonomous features while ensuring combatants remain on the loop, rather than in the loop. Though such weaponry can remain effective even without a Soldier physically piloting it, a Soldier is still fully preoccupied staring at the screen with today’s technology. By moving them on the loop instead, a Soldier is less likely to suffer from cognitive overload and may instead take more of a supervisory role over partially automated weapons systems, increasing their effective combat power and area of influence while retaining positive control of lethal decisions.

By Tyler Barth

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Robotics, weapons | Comments Off on Armaments Center Partners with Industry to Explore Concepts for Integrating Lethal Payloads to Unmanned Ground Vehicles

BLADE’s Hunter WOLF Robotic UGV Scheduled for Evaluation with the 82nd Airborne Division (TiC)

Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

Third Army training event demonstrates Hunter WOLF adaptability and utility across diverse mission requirementsFREDERICKSBURG, Va., Aug. 17, 2026 — The U.S. Army is expanding the evaluation of the Hunter WOLF unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) from HDT Robotics, LLC dba BLADE, through a Transition in Contact (TiC) event with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The training and evaluation is taking place August 20, 2026.

The Hunter WOLF from BLADE (formerly HDT) continues to prove its maturity with TiC event with the 82nd Airborne.

The Hunter WOLF is a robotic multi-mission ground vehicle designed to reduce the physical burden on soldiers. With a payload capacity of up to 2,800 lbs, it supports logistics and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) missions while helping to solve the military’s “last tactical mile” of supply challenge. By carrying critical equipment, supplies, and personnel, it extends operational duration, keeps soldiers in the field longer, reduces fatigue, and allows them to operate at safer distances. Built specifically for dismounted military operations, it delivers mobility, payload, and power in a compact system engineered to perform in demanding environments where commercial vehicles fail.

The training event will provide hands-on experience for soldiers from one of the Army’s premier rapid-response units. Known as the “All-American” Division, the 82nd Airborne can deploy worldwide within 18 hours and specializes in parachute assault and other key military operations.

“No two Army units operate the same way,” said Tom Van Doren, President of Robotics, BLADE. “The value of these evaluations is seeing how the Hunter WOLF supports different mission sets, environments, and operational priorities. Every event helps validate the flexibility of the platform and identify new ways it can reduce workload and help keep soldiers out of harm’s way.”

During the training, soldiers will operate and evaluate the Hunter WOLF in real-world scenarios, gaining experience in system operation and mission integration. The vehicles will be configured to support a variety of mission requirements, including communications, logistics, casualty evacuation, mobile power generation, and equipment transport.

Specifically, configurations include:

Two Vehicle-mounted Tactical Radios (AN/VRC-158)
Autonomy
Five Universal Battery Chargers (UBC)
Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC)
15kW Mobile Power Export (120/240VAC inverter offload)
Extended Cargo Rails for Equipment Transport

“The 82nd Airborne brings a unique operational perspective centered on agility, mobility, and rapid deployment,” said John Conway, VP of Business Development, Robotics, BLADE. “Training units like this help demonstrate how the Hunter WOLF can integrate into light / mobile infantry operations while delivering the support soldiers need to stay focused on the warfighting mission.”

This event follows previous Hunter WOLF training and evaluation activities conducted with U.S. Army units earlier this year, including the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and the 101st Airborne Division. Collectively, these engagements are providing valuable soldier feedback while demonstrating the platform’s adaptability across multiple mission requirements and operational environments.

www.hdtglobal.com

Posted in Army, Contracts, Press Release, Robotics | No Comments »

US Army Announces Vendors for Infantry Last Tactical Mile Operations

Friday, August 14th, 2026

DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – Today, the U.S. Army announced the selection of six vendors for the Infantry Last Tactical Mile (ILTM) initiative, a key effort within our mission autonomy portfolio to modernize infantry support for Soldiers on the battlefield.

“This project will deliver production-ready prototype autonomous systems supporting manned close combat formations through rapidly deployable logistical resupply platforms capable of performing casualty evacuation operations and network extension to the forward line of own troops,” said Col. Ken Bernier, the Army’s project manager for Autonomous Robotic Capabilities.

The selected vendors will provide advanced robotic systems designed for beyond-line-of-sight autonomous control, directly enhancing the Army’s ability to conduct multi-domain operations.

The six identified companies – Maren-Go (Vancouver, Wash.), Overland AI (Seattle), Forterra (Clarksburg, Md.), Hendrick’s Motorsports (Concord, N.C.), American Rheinmetall (Auburn Hills, Mich.), and HDT (Solon, Ohio) – were chosen for their innovative approaches to logistical resupply to the forward line of own troops (FLOT). Their proposed technologies range from proven autonomous commercial equipment to novel purpose-built robotic platforms designed to meet the logistical needs of the infantry.

Formal contract awards for the ILTM initiative are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Once awarded, the project will advance into a series of demonstrations and assessments, culminating in an Operational Assessment with an Army unit in early 2027. This rotation will allow the Army to collect direct, unit-level feedback to inform the production decision for the next generation of autonomous infantry systems.

By Ashley John

Posted in Army, Contracts, Guest Post, Robotics | Comments Off on US Army Announces Vendors for Infantry Last Tactical Mile Operations