Ground drones for the MENA region: Milrem Robotics and Pearson Engineering form UGV partnership

At IDEX 2025, Milrem Robotics and Pearson Engineering agreed to cooperate on developing mission-specific ground drones – unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) – for the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). The memorandum of understanding is dated 17 February; it was signed by Ian Bell as Group CEO of Pearson Engineering and Kuldar Väärsi, who founded Milrem Robotics and leads it as CEO.

The agreement gives an existing cooperation a formal framework: Pearson Engineering has already fitted earthmoving and explosive-hazard clearance equipment to its partner's robotic combat vehicle. Through the memorandum of understanding, end users in the Middle East are to gain access to new technologies. The core question is how Pearson Engineering's minefield-breaching capabilities – above all the modular RCV-Pioneer mission payload – can be integrated into Milrem's tracked Robotic Combat Vehicles.

“Robotics and autonomous systems are the future in the land domain. If we can move our soldiers further away from the threat and deliver smarter unmanned vehicles, we will do so,” says Ian Bell. He pointed out that Milrem Robotics can draw on enormous experience, supported by its parent company Edge Group.

Testing ground drones in the area of operations

Together, the two companies also want to increase operational effectiveness and examine the scenarios robotic systems face in areas of operations. This is intended to ensure that the cutting-edge technologies also deliver an advantage at operational and tactical level when deployed.

Kuldar Väärsi is convinced: “Combining our robotic systems with Pearson Engineering's solutions will offer more reliable, more cost-effective and safer options in many combat scenarios, increase combat efficiency and reduce the cost of operations. This applies in particular to areas that pose a direct danger to our soldiers, such as combat engineering.”