Danish army tests the French ULTRO 4×4 UGV Unmanned Ground Vehicle from Nexter

According to a video published on the Twitter account of OpexNews on January 6, 2022, the Danish army is conducted field tests with the French UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) ULTRO, also known as “MULE” concept designed and manufactured by the French company Nexter.

Danish army is in the process to experiment with the use of that type of combat equipment and learn experiences about the capabilities and technologies of autonomous vehicles in tactical situations.

Between 2018 and 2023, Denmark aims to strengthen its military operational capabilities with, amongst others, drone capacity. Danish military and civilian policy-makers have been interested in increasing their understanding of the capabilities of UAVs for a long time. Denmark has invested in these systems since the 1990s when they were used to support Danish forces in the field.

The ULTRO has been designed by Nexter to provide soldiers a robotic “mule” capability, able to carry heavy payload and offering to soldiers the capabilities to conduct unconstrained movement without excessive physical burden.

The ULTRO is a cargo carrier UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) which is based on a 4×4 wheeled chassis and electrically powered thanks to the use of Bren-Tronics 6T Li-Ion battery pack stored in a sliding compartment. The ULTRO is very small in size to be deployable in the difficult conditions of the modern battlefield with a length of 1.97 m, a width of 1.3 m, and a height of 1.18 m. The UGV has a weight of 800 kg with a payload capacity of 600 kg.

The Nexter ULTRO 4×4 UGV can reach a top speed of 18 km/h with an endurance estimated at 8 to 12 hours. The wheels arrangements of the ULTRO consist of Michelin Non-Pneumatic Tires (NPTs) offering a high level of mobility in all-terrain conditions. It can negotiate a gradient of 40% and a slide slope of 35%, climb a vertical obstacle of 400 mm and ford up to 600 mm.

The Nexter ULTRO can be operated by one soldier using a remote control or can work in autonomous mode. To control the mobility of the ULTRO, thermal and daylight cameras are mounted all around the vehicle.

The ULTRO UGV was developed to be used mainly as a cargo carrier but it can be fitted with other mission modules as reconnaissance equipment, telescopic mast, or different types of sensors. It can be also used to transport wounded personnel in order to evacuate them from the combat zones.