Latvia develops unmanned platform for military operations

Latvian high-tech company LV-Teh and the University of Latvia have signed a strategic research and innovation agreement to develop robotic systems and smart platforms for the armed forces, LSM reported Monday.

The partnership is intended to speed up the transition from research and prototypes to practical solutions for security, civil protection and critical infrastructure as geopolitical tensions in Europe increase.

At the University of Latvia’s Academic Centre, LV-Teh demonstrated the HADES GEKON M2 unmanned platform. It can operate in places considered dangerous for people and can be used for reconnaissance, evacuating wounded personnel and engineering work. The platform can also be adapted to carry combat and air-defence weapons.

The ground drone can carry a 300-kilogram load and reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. It can be controlled by radio at distances of up to two kilometres, while satellite navigation or a Starlink connection can enable remote operation over much longer distances, depending on the communications system.

The HADES GEKON M2 was developed for the needs of the Latvian army. LV-Teh signed an agreement with the National Armed Forces in April to supply the platforms.

LV-Teh business development director Armands Sakne said the platform had been developed entirely in Latvia by Latvian engineers and was built using European components without Chinese parts. He said it had been designed for Latvian conditions, including local vegetation, marshes, wetlands and dense forests.

The Latvian army has tested various platforms in extended competitive trials and is continuing to test them. Sakne said the company’s goal was for the platform to serve as a national Baltic unmanned ground platform for the armed forces of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The University of Latvia and LV-Teh have also signed a long-term cooperation agreement.