Land Forces 2026: Hanwha, Milrem expand UGV co-operation in the Asia-Pacific

Hanwha Aerospace has acquired two THeMIS platforms under an expanded co-operation agreement with Milrem. (Milrem)

Hanwha Aerospace and Milrem Robotics have expanded co-operation in the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) sector, with new initiatives involving Milrem's THeMIS platform in South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

The companies announced on 7 October at the Land Forces 2026 international defence exposition in Perth that Hanwha has acquired two THeMIS vehicles, one for South Korea and one for Australia.

In South Korea, the UGV will support research and development projects involving Hanwha, contributing to the development and evaluation of autonomous and unmanned ground capabilities.

The agreement also expands co-operation in Australia and New Zealand, where Hanwha will market, sell, support, and potentially produce the THeMIS locally. The arrangement includes plans to establish an Australian supply chain, develop local maintenance and upgrade capabilities, and integrate payloads and subsystems tailored to regional requirements.

Under the agreement, Milrem will provide technology transfers, engineering support, localisation planning, and technical expertise.

The agreement also includes an option to integrate Milrem's Intelligent Function Integration Kit (MIFIK) onto Hanwha's manned and unmanned platforms. MIFIK is designed to add capabilities including autonomous navigation and mission execution to existing vehicle fleets.

The agreement follows the unveiling of a new UGV, named THeMIS-K, at ‘Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025' in Seoul, South Korea. At the time, a Hanwha Aerospace spokesperson told Janes that the new UGV, was “under review to reflect various [Republic of Korea Army (RoKA)] operational requirements”.

Hanwha Aerospace is also collaborating with Milrem Robotics to develop a new medium-sized UGV for the global market. The project follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that Hanwha Aerospace signed with Milrem Robotics in February 2025 to jointly develop tracked robotic combat vehicles (RCVs).