Ground drones for Ukraine: ARX Robotics and Roboneers form ARX Industries joint venture

Ground drones on an industrial scale: that is the aim of ARX Industries, a joint venture whose founding ARX Robotics and Roboneers have announced. The venture is to build unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) in series, specifically the Rys Pro UGV system at large scale. This will give the Ukrainian Armed Forces software-defined capabilities in the field of unmanned ground systems.

Both partners contribute their expertise in the development, industrial production and operational use of UGVs to the joint company. The aim is to meet the rapidly growing demand for unmanned ground systems on the modern battlefield. At the same time, the joint venture intends to contribute directly to Ukraine's plan to equip its armed forces with 50,000 UGVs by 2026.

The Rys Pro is to be produced in both Germany and Ukraine, allowing ARX Industries to combine industrial scalability with proximity to operations. Several thousand systems are already planned for the first year of operation. Annual capacity is then to grow step by step into the five-digit range.

What the ground drones are being built for

ARX Industries will be responsible for production, maintenance and operational support. This creates a long-term industrial base on which Europe can build sovereign UGV capabilities. The cooperation is backed by the Ukrainian and German governments. As part of the “Build with Ukraine” initiative, the partnership ensures that combat-proven UGV systems reach the Ukrainian Armed Forces faster, while strengthening Europe's defence capability.

The systems are intended for mission-critical scenarios: casualty evacuation, frontline logistics, the laying and clearing of mines, and combat support. Operational insights gained at the front are fed continuously back into production, so that each new batch is based on the latest operational experience. This direct feedback loop between the area of operations and the factory is a key element of the cooperation.

Every week without the right equipment costs lives on the battlefield. ARX Industries is our joint answer to this urgency. A production platform designed to deliver combat-proven UGV systems faster and at a scale that makes a tangible difference in operations.— Maximilian Wied, co-founder and CFO of ARX Robotics

Ukraine has shown that robotics makes the difference on the battlefield. With ARX Industries, ARX Robotics and Roboneers are now bringing these capabilities to industrial scale and delivering combat-proven UGV systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces faster than ever before. This is how ‘Build with Ukraine’ is put into practice.— Anton Skrypnyk, Executive Chairman of Roboneers