Milrem Robotics in Paris: NATO's Eastern Border Should Be Defended by Robots

Estonian defence company Milrem Robotics presented a radical concept in Paris proposing that NATO's 3,500-kilometre eastern border should be protected using a roboticised defence corridor. Spanning from Finland to Poland, autonomous drones and unmanned combat vehicles would absorb the enemy's first strike in this defensive zone. Such an approach would keep allied forces away from the front line.

Estonian defence company Milrem Robotics presented an ambitious vision in Paris for the future defence of NATO's eastern border, with a 3,500-kilometre-long defence line stretching from Finland to Poland that should be based on autonomous systems, according to the concept.

Robots on the Front Line

Milrem's plan envisions the creation of a roboticised defence corridor along NATO's eastern border, where unmanned drones and autonomous combat vehicles would form the first line of defence. Their task would be to receive and slow down enemy attacks before the threat reaches the allied nations' personnel.

Such an approach would mean a fundamental shift in NATO's defence philosophy: humans would enter combat only after the machine-based front line has already done its work.

Why Now?

The presentation of the concept in Paris is no accident. NATO has significantly strengthened its presence on the eastern border in recent years and is constantly seeking new solutions to optimise defence spending without compromising security. The use of unmanned systems would potentially allow coverage of large land areas with reduced human risk.

Milrem Robotics is one of the world's leading manufacturers of unmanned ground vehicle platforms, and their THeMIS combat vehicle is already in use in several NATO member states. The concept proposed by the company is based on this experience and envisages the integrated use of more autonomous systems for unified border defence.