Norway's Kongsberg Partners with Ukraine's DevDroid to Co-Develop Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Norwegian defense technology group Kongsberg and Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developer DevDroid have reportedly signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop and produce next-generation remotely operated ground platforms. The partnership combines Kongsberg's industrial manufacturing expertise with Ukrainian engineers' frontline combat experience. DevDroid's tracked Droid TW 12.7 UGV, armed with a Browning M2 heavy machine gun, is already deployed with Ukrainian armed forces.
Highlights
- Norway's Kongsberg and Ukraine's DevDroid have signed an agreement to jointly develop and manufacture next-generation unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).
- The partnership combines Kongsberg's industrial-scale manufacturing expertise with combat-tested engineering experience from Ukrainian frontline engineers.
- DevDroid's tracked Droid TW 12.7 UGV, armed with a Browning M2 heavy machine gun, is already in active service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
- The Droid TW 12.7 is claimed to be the world's first robotic ground platform to destroy an enemy MT-LB armored vehicle and its crew, though this has not been independently verified.
- The collaboration is viewed as a significant move to strengthen European defense industry capabilities in unmanned ground combat systems.
Norwegian defense technology group Kongsberg and Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developer DevDroid have reportedly reached an agreement to jointly develop and produce a new generation of unmanned ground vehicles.
Combining Industrial Strength with Combat-Proven Experience
According to an official statement, the partnership aims to merge Kongsberg's industrial manufacturing capabilities with the real-world battlefield experience accumulated by Ukrainian engineers, with the goal of developing next-generation remotely operated ground combat platforms.
DevDroid Systems Already Deployed at the Front Line
The statement notes that DevDroid's UGV systems are already in active service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Among them, the tracked Droid TW 12.7 UGV — equipped with a Browning M2 heavy machine gun — is claimed to be the world's first robotic ground platform to have destroyed an enemy MT-LB armored vehicle and its crew. However, this claim has not yet been independently verified.
Strengthening Europe's Defense Supply Chain
Kongsberg has long been a major player in the defense and aerospace sectors. Its collaboration with DevDroid is seen as a significant step in bolstering European defense industry capabilities in unmanned ground warfare. The Ukrainian battlefield has emerged as a critical proving ground for unmanned systems technology, and the lessons learned there are increasingly shaping the development of military equipment worldwide.
Sources: Kongsberg / DevDroid; Image copyright: DevDroid
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