Hanwha Aerospace has signed a teaming agreement with Milrem Robotics to jointly pursue Romania’s unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) programme, on the sidelines of the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace 2026 (BSDA 2026) exhibition in Bucharest.
The agreement was concluded between Hanwha Aerospace, its local subsidiary Hanwha Aerospace Romania, and Milrem Robotics, establishing a cooperation framework for the development of both wheeled and tracked unmanned ground systems, alongside industrial participation and potential local production in Romania.
Under the agreement, Hanwha Aerospace Romania is expected to act as the prime contractor for the programme. The company will provide wheeled UGV platforms based on the Arion-SMET and GRUNT families, including the upgraded GRUNT 6×6 variant, designed for extended operational range, higher payload capacity, and modular mission configurations.
Milrem Robotics will contribute its THeMIS tracked unmanned ground vehicle platform and related technologies. The system is designed for operations in complex and rugged terrain and features hybrid propulsion and modular payload integration for a range of mission profiles.
The companies said the partnership reflects a coordinated approach to unmanned systems development, combining Hanwha’s programme integration and industrial capabilities with Milrem Robotics’ experience in unmanned ground vehicle design and production.
They added that the cooperation is intended to strengthen Romania’s defence industrial base, support localised manufacturing, and enhance competitiveness in the growing European unmanned systems market.
Lino Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Hanwha Aerospace Romania, said the agreement marks an important step in delivering advanced unmanned capabilities to Romania through local production and industrial cooperation.
He added that combining next-generation UGV technologies from both companies aims to deliver a scalable and flexible solution tailored to Romanian operational requirements, while contributing to the country’s defence industrial development and broader European cooperation.
Kuldar Väärsi, Chief Executive Officer of Milrem Robotics, said the company’s THeMIS platform is among the first unmanned ground vehicles in Europe to enter serial production.
He also noted that with established manufacturing sites and experience in technology transfer, Milrem Robotics sees strong potential to expand production capabilities in Romania in cooperation with Hanwha, while further strengthening regional defence manufacturing capacity.
Ahead of BSDA 2026, the two companies also conducted a live manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) demonstration near Bucharest on 12 May, integrating Hanwha’s TIGON armoured vehicle, the GRUNT UGV, and Milrem’s THeMIS Cargo platform in a simulated operational environment.
According to the companies, the demonstration included reconnaissance and surveillance missions, logistics resupply, casualty evacuation, and UAV-enabled battlefield monitoring under simulated electronic warfare conditions. The event reportedly drew significant interest from Romanian military officials and highlighted growing cooperation in next-generation unmanned battlefield technologies.