Nexter and SERA Ingénierie (SOGECLAIR) join forces to develop land robots for French army.

Nexter and SOGECLAIR, through its subsidiary SERA Ingénierie, have signed a partnership agreement to jointly develop land robots for the French army. These two major players in French military robotics combine their complementary know-how: Nexter, a leader in land defense in France and Europe, brings its recognized skills in architecture, system integration and robotic systems, while SERA Engineering (SOGECLAIR), specializing in the design and manufacture of special vehicles and mission systems, will bring its recognized expertise in the areas of mechanical design and production of platforms for defense and security, civil and simulation applications. This partnership aims to offer sovereign solutions in the future sector of military robotics.
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Nexter and SOGECLAIR, through its subsidiary SERA Ingénierie, have signed a partnership agreement to jointly develop land robots for the French army (Picture source: Nexter)

A leader in the field of countermining, simulation and dynamic behavior of vehicles, SERA Ingénierie (SOGECLAIR) provides its expertise in land mobility with its new Phobos platform, the result of 10 years of investment, designed around three axes strategic; mobility, autonomy and modular architecture. This versatile robotic carrier weighing less than two tons empty and offering one ton of payload was designed to implement all types of mission kits (tools, sensors, effectors). Its 4 independent wheels with reinforced suspensions allow it to easily follow the tracks of armored vehicles in service on any type of terrain at high speed. In addition, its internal combustion engine and large tank provide the electrical and hydraulic power supply for all onboard equipment. The Phobos can also be available in a hybrid or electric version.

For its part, as a reference industrial prime contractor, Nexter brings its knowledge of the operational environment and its constraints (such as operational safety or cyber protection), as well as its mastery of the architecture of inhabited systems and robotics. In the field of robotics, Nexter is developing a mobility autonomy kit combining assisted tele-operation with autonomous capabilities that can be used in hostile environments (personnel tracking, route tracking, convoy tracking, rallying at points of interest …), thanks to significant investments made over the last 10 years. The Human-Robot relationship is particularly explored in order to have an optimized Human-Robot system where the contribution of each entity is adjusted as well as possible and in real-time, whatever the tactical situation.

One of the first joint projects concerns the design of an investigation robot aimed at meeting the needs of engineering units. For this, the Phobos platform is distinguished by its adaptation to the operational needs of this device by combining the best mobility, ergonomics and low logistical footprint. Pobos can for example easily be towed by all-terrain vehicles on long journeys or even air-dropped. Thanks to cutting-edge robotic architecture, this robot will carry out dangerous missions such as countermining while ensuring the safety of its operators.

Sylvain Rousseau, Director of Nexter's Systems activity, is delighted with this partnership: "The partnership between Nexter and SERA Ingénierie (SOGECLAIR), above all reflects the desire to unite the key players in French robotics in order to achieve the solutions land robots of today and tomorrow".

Olivier Pedron, President of SERA Ingénierie (SOGECLAIR) and Deputy Managing Director of SOGECLAIR specify “This partnership aims to provide solutions with a small logistical footprint, robust and sober, proven and reliable”.

Defense News April 2023