Babcock, Ark Robotics sign MoU to bring UGVs to UK forces
Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are taking on a growing share of frontline tasks, re-supplying teams with ammunition, weapons and equipment. Babcock will partner with Ark Robotics to develop and deliver UGV solutions and autonomous systems.
British company Babcock has signed an MoU with Estonian defence technology startup Ark Robotics to explore manufacturing uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) in the UK, bringing a platform already proven on the frontline in Ukraine to British and allied forces.
Through this agreement Babcock intends to jointly explore UK manufacturing, systems integration and payload integration, along with the development of a full support solution including training, logistics, infrastructure and operational support. Babcock will also explore opportunities for Ark Robotics’ Frontier system, which provides robots with autonomous navigation capabilities and allows a single operator to control multiple vehicles at once, Babcock said.
“As a business, we connect people, platforms, technology, information and operations across every domain — and by partnering with Ark Robotics, we can leverage our expertise in autonomy, manufacturing and systems integration to deliver next-generation uncrewed ground systems for the UK and international customers,” said Louise Atkinson, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Land and Mission Systems sector.
“We are building infrastructure for a future in which militaries field many times more unmanned systems than soldiers. Meeting that shift requires more than technology. It requires the manufacturing capacity, systems integration and through-life support that turn a proven platform into a sovereign capability,” said Achi Takagama, CEO, Ark Robotics. “Partnering with Babcock, a global defence leader, is how we bring what we have learned on the frontline to the UK and other allies at scale.”
