GDELS and Alpha Robotics Sign Cooperation Agreement to Advance Manned-Unmanned Teaming

European systems integrator General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) and German technology company Alpha Robotics signed a formal cooperation agreement today at Eurosatory trade show in Paris. The agreement brings together the expertise of the two partners in developing integrated solutions for Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) with the goal of quickly providing operational solutions based on the proven products from both parties.

At Eurosatory, the partners are already presenting initial applications for joint MUM-T solutions, such as mobile Counter-UAS and perimeter surveillance and defense. In these scenarios, GDELS’ EAGLE 6x6 serves as Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) for several WOLF C1/G1 unmanned ground vehicles as well as the HAWK and HUMMINGBIRD drones from Alpha Robotics. With flexible payloads, the unmanned vehicles can serve as transport platforms, mobile sensor and effector carriers, or decoys. The VCU serves as command and control system with multiple operator stations. With its high level of passive protection, unparalleled mobility, low signature, and optional drone countermeasures, the EAGLE offers optimal survivability for crew and mission equipment, even in high-intensity scenarios.

Alpha Robotics, headquartered in Vechta, Germany, develops partially autonomous, unmanned ground and aerial systems for safety-critical applications such as firefighting, rescue operations, and technical assistance. The WOLF and SUPERWOLF families of tactical robots have already been deployed in a broad spectrum of emergencies, including forest and port fires and after airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. Close exchange with the users ensures the best possible alignment with practical requirements.

“Our companies share a common goal: enabling men and women in uniform in their complex and dangerous missions, while providing maximum protection,” says Oliver Rasche, Managing Director of Alpha Robotics. “In both areas, mobility and effective command and control based on real-time situational awareness are crucial to ensuring operational success. This is the only way to master the dynamics, complexity, and speed of modern manned-unmanned teaming scenarios with the necessary clarity and responsiveness.”

"We took the time to thoroughly examine the market for unmanned systems and its players. With Alpha Robotics, we found a partner with more than a decade of field-proven experience, deriving its expertise from real-world scenarios that closely resemble military applications in many respects. Crucially, their approach of thinking not in terms of individual platforms, but rather in terms of the networked interaction of all systems, was particularly convincing to us,” explains Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS Vice President for International Sales. “With their modularity and open architecture, GDELS’ vehicles are ideally suited for this network integration."