Milrem Robotics and Chugach sign memorandum to explore U.S. production of unmanned ground systems

Estonian robotics company Milrem Robotics and Chugach Alaska Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to explore a long-term industrial partnership for producing and supporting Milrem’s unmanned systems in the United States. The agreement was signed at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting in Washington, according to a Milrem press release dated 14 October.

What the memorandum envisages

Under the agreement, Chugach could become Milrem Robotics’ preferred U.S. industrial partner for production, assembly, integration, sustainment and lifecycle support. The work would serve U.S. customers and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases supplied from a U.S. industrial base. The cooperation is meant to cover Milrem’s current and future portfolio of unmanned ground vehicles and autonomous systems, and could support potential requirements from the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies, as well as the U.S. commercial dual-use market.

The two companies also expect the cooperation to include configuring and integrating Milrem’s platforms to meet U.S. customer requirements, together with operator and maintainer training, sustainment and lifecycle support. They intend to pursue international opportunities jointly, in which systems produced in the United States could reach allied and partner nations through FMS, giving those customers a way to buy Milrem capabilities through established U.S. acquisition channels.

What the companies said

Stefan Behre, Chief Sales Officer at Milrem Robotics, said: “Our objective is not simply to sell systems into the United States, but to establish the capability to produce, integrate and sustain them there.” Chugach CEO Jonathan Dalrymple said Milrem’s systems are already in operational use or part of robotics programmes in 21 countries, and that building and sustaining them in the United States would give U.S. and allied forces a more direct path to the capability.

Who Chugach is

In its description of the partner, Milrem’s release says Chugach companies have delivered mission-critical solutions to government and industry for more than 50 years while reinvesting in Alaska Native communities. Chugach has approximately 5,000 employees supporting customers at 110 locations across 28 states and 10 countries, and the release lists shipbuilding, aviation, facilities, logistics, information warfare and technical services among its defence work.

Status and context

The document is a memorandum to explore a partnership, not a production contract, and the release gives no quantities, values, locations or timetable. Geopolitiki has also covered another AUSA exhibitor’s plans in SAS Technology at AUSA 2026: SeaSting, AHM-2X AIHMI and, for the first time, the portable Spearhead loitering munition.

Source: Milrem Robotics press release, Milrem Robotics and Chugach sign agreement to explore U.S. production of unmanned ground systems, 14 October 2026.