Extreme climate
Mali’s climate conditions are very extreme. It is an opportunity to further assess the weather resistance of both systems and push their boundaries in harsh environment. “It is an operation in one of the world’s most challenging climates. It is a priceless experience for us and knowledge gained during the mission will be used for further R&D.,” said Jüri Pajuste, Director of Milrem Robotics’ Defense Programs Department.
The mission is also a great possibility to provide the units of the Defence Forces with experience in the use of unmanned systems and enhance their operational capabilities.
Titan and THeMIS – the power of unmanned
Unmanned aircraft Titan can operate independently, providing surveillance or last mile support to ground units. The military quadcopter has multi-payload capability with a lift capacity of 6 kg. As a result, this provides a very wide spectrum of missions that Titan can perform.
ISTAR assets and automated intelligent information system gives information superiority over threat forces. These assets gather large amounts of information, process it rapidly into intelligence, and disseminate it to decision-makers quickly.
The UGV is used as a transport or observation platform. In the first case, it can transport equipment, such as ammunition, which lightens soldier’s load. The Threod’s and Milrem Robotics’ combined unmanned solution is a modular, semi-autonomous and deployable capability that provides the unit commander with combat service and intelligence support with limited/minimum man-in-the-loop involvement.
Most importantly, the two combined unmanned systems are a real force multiplier. They provide the solution that extends operation time significantly outperforming the endurance of any wireless drone. It provides situational awareness and force protection of ground units, their combat effectiveness, endurance, mobility and autonomy. Enables faster deployment and enhances the interoperability and affordability of ground forces.
Operation Barkhane
The mission of Estonian soldiers in Mali is to ensure the security of the French base in Gao and its vicinity. Operation Barkhane is a French-run counter-insurgency operation in the Sahel region. Its aim is to support the warfare against Islamic extremists in five countries (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad). Thus, preventing illegal immigration and trafficking in Europe.