North Defence readies new UGV for NATO trials in Switzerland

North Defence Group has shown new images of its unmanned ground vehicle, a compact electric or hybrid robot built to haul more than 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of gear for frontline troops, follow soldiers on its own and carry counter-drone weapons, as the British-Luxembourg company prepares it for NATO trials in Switzerland.

The company said in a post on social media that the UGV “continues its evolution, at pace,” without giving new technical details. North Defence first unveiled the vehicle on Oct. 9 at the opening of its new factory in Elland, Yorkshire, and said then that it would go to Switzerland for NATO trials, with a full market launch expected later this winter.

According to the company’s product page, the UGV is under 3 m (9.8 feet) long and 1.6 m (5.2 feet) wide, small enough that two fit in a standard shipping container or on an air transport pallet. It can be dropped by parachute, slung under a helicopter or towed on a trailer. North Defence offers it with a fully electric, diesel or diesel-electric hybrid drive, depending on whether a unit needs range or near-silent movement.

The vehicle uses four-wheel steering, which gives it a tight turning circle and a crab-walk mode for moving sideways into cover. The company lists 300 mm (12 inches) of ground clearance and a 61-degree approach angle. A “follow me” mode links the UGV electronically to a soldier or lead vehicle so it can trail a patrol without a driver, and it can also drive itself between waypoints and keep navigating when GPS is jammed.

The flatbed can take a remote weapon station, a Slinger counter-drone system or a telescopic surveillance mast. North Defence said the UGV is designed to work alongside its counter-drone armored vehicles. An armored compartment running the length of the wheelbase, which the company calls the “life-cell,” can carry extra batteries for longer range and silent watch, or be used to evacuate a casualty under protection.

The North Defence UGV is similar in concept to several other wheeled ground robots built for the dangerous last stretch of the supply chain. Ukraine’s Protector, made by Ukrainian Armor, carries ammunition, supplies and wounded soldiers on a diesel off-road chassis and has been in Ukrainian service since 2025. In the United States, AM General has teamed with Textron Systems, Carnegie Robotics and Moog on an autonomous ground vehicle for logistics, resupply and reconnaissance, aimed at a coming U.S. Army competition.

North Defence, founded by Chief Executive Oliver North, builds light mobility vehicles and says it has developed its products using feedback from the front line in Ukraine, where North has made 17 trips. The company doubled its production space to 50,000 square feet with the Elland factory, opened a European headquarters in Luxembourg last year and says the UGV was engineered in Steinsel, Luxembourg. On Oct. 14, it announced a joint venture with Strongs to build its light mobility vehicles in the United Kingdom.