Hanwha Aerospace has signed a deal with Estonia-based Milrem Robotics to jointly pursue Romania’s unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) program.
Signed at the BSDA 2026 defense exhibition in Bucharest, the agreement includes Hanwha Aerospace’s Romanian subsidiary, which is expected to act as prime contractor if the bid moves forward.
The partnership is structured around Romania’s emphasis on local industrial participation, with production and integration activities expected to involve domestic manufacturing.
Hanwha’s proposed offering combines wheeled and tracked robotic platforms for different battlefield roles.
Its contribution includes the Arion-SMET unmanned logistics vehicle and the larger GRUNT platform, a 6×6 system designed for cargo transport, modular mission payloads, and operations over extended distances.
Milrem would provide its THeMIS tracked UGV, a hybrid-powered platform already fielded in multiple military programs for logistics, reconnaissance, and remote mission support.
MUM-T Demonstration in Romania
Ahead of the exhibition, Hanwha and Milrem conducted a live manned-unmanned teaming demonstration near Bucharest to showcase how the systems could operate in combat support scenarios.
The exercise combined Hanwha’s TIGON armored vehicle with the GRUNT unmanned platform and Milrem’s THeMIS Cargo vehicle.
It included reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, battlefield resupply, casualty evacuation, and drone-assisted situational awareness, while also simulating contested electronic warfare conditions.
Hanwha’s Wider European Push
The Romanian UGV bid aligns with Hanwha’s wider effort to strengthen its presence in Europe’s defense market, where the South Korean group has been steadily expanding.
Earlier this month, Estonia signed a follow-on agreement for three additional K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems, expanding a previous 290-million-euro ($340 million) deal concluded last year.
In March, Hanwha Ocean signed a strategic teaming agreement with ONEX Shipyards & Technologies Group to jointly pursue programs for the Hellenic Armed Forces, including naval and coast guard requirements as well as potential submarine projects.
