Milrem Robotics
Estonian UGV maker; produces THeMIS; first non-Estonian line opened in Netherlands for Ukraine.
Last refreshed: 6 June 2026
Can a second UGV line in the Netherlands actually match Ukrainian battlefield demand?
Timeline for Milrem Robotics
Opened a THeMIS UGV production line at Born, Netherlands, handing over first Dutch-funded units for Ukraine
Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: Milrem builds THeMIS outside Estonia for Ukraine- What is Milrem Robotics and where is it based?
- Milrem Robotics is an Estonian unmanned ground vehicle manufacturer founded in 2013 and headquartered in Tallinn. It makes the THeMIS tracked modular UGV and led the EU's iMUGS programme.
- Why did Milrem open a production line in the Netherlands?
- To meet Dutch government demand for 100+ THeMIS units destined for Ukraine, and because a single Estonian factory cannot sustain wartime surge output. The Born line is the first THeMIS assembly outside Estonia.Source: Lowdown
- How long has THeMIS been used in Ukraine?
- THeMIS platforms have operated in Ukraine since 2022, giving Milrem verified combat feedback across logistics, CASEVAC and ISR roles at operational scale.Source: Lowdown
- What is the iMUGS programme that Milrem led?
- iMUGS (integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System) is an EU-funded programme Milrem led to develop a common European UGV architecture, standardising the platform so different nations can integrate their own payloads.
Background
Milrem Robotics is an Estonian defence company and Europe's leading unmanned ground vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Tallinn, it designed and produces the THeMIS (Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System), a tracked modular UGV used for logistics, casualty evacuation, ISR and direct-fire support. Milrem led the iMUGS programme, the EU-funded initiative to develop a common European UGV architecture. Its customer base spans NATO members in northern and central Europe, with Ukraine as the most operationally intensive end-user.
The company operates as part of the Helsing group following acquisition in 2023, which accelerated its AI integration roadmap without moving its manufacturing base. THeMIS platforms have been deployed in Ukraine since 2022, making Milrem one of the few European UGV makers with verified combat feedback at scale.
On approximately 4 June 2026 Milrem and Dutch partner VDL Defentec opened a THeMIS production line at Born, Netherlands, handing over the first of more than 100 units funded by the Dutch government for Ukraine. It is the first THeMIS assembly outside Milrem's Estonian factory, operated through Milrem's Dutch subsidiary and configured as a flexible final-assembly line for rapid capacity scaling. The Born line follows a fivefold expansion of Germany's ARX Robotics GEREON fleet for Ukraine in May 2026 and extends that demand signal geographically: a single national factory cannot sustain wartime surge output, so a second line in a second allied country is the structural answer.
The Born opening sets the cross-border surge-capacity precedent NATO ground-robot resupply planning has not previously had. For the broader autonomous-systems sector it demonstrates that a modular UGV programme can disperse manufacturing without losing configuration control, a key requirement for any future NATO surge scenario.
