UK orders uncrewed ground vehicles from SME

Germany’s ARX Robotics has won a British Army contract to provide “an initial order” of its ‘Gereon’ uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), it announced on 15 April. 

The SME was awarded the contract under Task Force Rapstone, the British Army’s initiative to accelerate the adoption of new technologies, particularly from lessons learned from Ukraine. 

The Gereon tracked UGV is designed for a range of terrain types and can facilitate modular payloads with a 500kg capacity. The system can support missions including logistical or medical evacuation. 

On this specific order, the British Army will receive units equipped with a range of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, the announcement says.  

This follows “months” of testing by the company and the British Army, where the company says its UGVs were “refined through trials and operational experimentation”.

The deal comes amid the company’s push to expand its UK presence, having already opened a manufacturing facility in the country in April last year. 

It also represents a notable milestone for the British Army, which until recently had chosen to not widely adopt UGVs, DSEI Gateway understands.  

When asked for comment, ARX Robotics was unable to provide details regarding the exact number of units ordered, or the total value of the contract. 

The “British Army's adoption of autonomous ground systems is a clear signal that the UK is serious about modernising its land forces and staying ahead of our adversaries”, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard said in the announcement. 

This comes as UGVs are seeing a greater role in modern warfare, with Ukraine at the forefront of its adoption. ARX Robotics says that its UGVs “are the most widely deployed Western UGVs in Ukraine”, allowing the company to iterate and develop its products based on combat experience.