Deutz and ARX Robotics
ARX Robotics and DEUTZ strive for strategic partnership in digitalized drives and unmanned defense systems
The Deutz and ARX Robotics agreement is further confirmation of the title of the article about Deutz AG, which will be published in the November issue of POWERTRAIN International: “The Capacity to Diversify.”
Together with ARX Deutz will strengthen its position in the applications for unmanned defense systems
Deutz and ARX Robotics, a leading European defense tech company that is developing a new generation of unmanned, software-defined ground defense systems, will cooperate closely in the future. Unmanned ground vehicles will initially be battery-powered drive systems, to be followed by smaller internal combustion engines and hybrid drives in the future. In addition, the two companies will develop an interface to link ARX’s AI-driven software platform Mithra OS to Deutz drive systems.
Deutz CEO Sebastian Schulte and ARX CEO Marc Wietfeld
“Unmanned and semi-autonomous defense systems are set to play an increasingly critical and central role for armed forces of the future. That is why we are combining ARX Robotics’ leading software and robotics expertise with our strengths in drive systems, decentralized energy supply, and industrial production,” states Deutz CEO Sebastian Schulte. “These types of partnerships ‘made in Germany’ are what we need to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities for the long term.”
Marc Wietfeld, co-founder and CEO of ARX Robotics, describes this partnership as a major step in securing Europe’s technological sovereignty and Germany’s industrial base: “Working with Deutz, we are combining the intelligence of our Mithra OS platform and vehicle systems with high-quality drive systems, mobile energy, and industrial manufacturing. This will enable us to deliver unmanned systems to troops more quickly, increase availability and reliability during deployment, and to create the basis for scaling up in Europe. Our remit remains unchanged: protect soldiers, help to streamline logistics, and build up extensive capabilities.”
Deutz will also provide energy infrastructure in the field through its business units Energy and NewTech. This will include gensets, storage solutions, and swappable batteries. Furthermore, ARX Robotics will gain access to Deutz’s global production and service network. This will allow rapid fulfillment of orders regardless of their size, with the comprehensive international service network providing a further competitive edge.
This step follows on from the recently formed partnership between ARX and drone manufacturer Helsing, under which the two firms intend to jointly develop an AI-based reconnaissance and strike network for European defense. ARX and Helsing can draw on field-tested systems and experience gathered in Ukraine, where networked technologies are already playing a crucial role in ground operations.
Deutz acquired SOBEK, a leading manufacturer of drive systems for drones, at the start of September and has thus positioned itself as a system provider in the growing ecosystem for unmanned defense systems.
