Milrem proposes unmanned defence line for NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative

Milrem THeMIS UGV at the Tapa training range in Estonia. (Milrem)

Raul Rikk, Milrem Robotics' capability development director, proposed an unmanned defence line for NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI) during a visit by international journalists including from Janes to the company's facility in Tallinn on 23 September 2026.

He expressed EFDI's key goal as having a high-tech capability that reacts in minutes and makes penetration of NATO territory too costly, with high-tech deterrence by denial through layered defence in depth. He said the primary focus was persistent sensing, artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems, integrated fires, fortifications, and high-speed decision making.

Rikk observed that integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), sensors, and command and control (C2) into a coherent, interoperable system-of-systems remains limited. He said fragmented national solutions are not compatible, with an absence of validated operational concepts for large-scale unmanned defence formations. He also noted a lack of interoperability across NATO member states and limited integration between sensing, decision-making, and effectors.

Rikk envisioned unmanned battlegroups for surveillance, defence, attack, and other missions with a tactical communication network and electronic warfare/cyber protection provided by a battle management system for manned-unmanned teaming and robotic fleet management. He spoke of payload teleoperation and autonomy of Havoc 8x8 as well as THeMIS and Vector tracked unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) equipped for various missions.