How the Ukrainian Simba UGV performed during international NATO exercises in Latvia

Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicles demonstrated their effectiveness during international trials held as part of the NATO Crystal Arrow 2026 exercise in Latvia. One of the platforms was the Ukrainian-made “Simba” UGV developed by UGV Laboratory, which took part in an Alliance exercise for the first time.

The platform was selected for unmanned systems testing under the Task Force X programme, which aims to accelerate the integration of new land-based technologies.

During the exercise, the UGV performed logistics tasks, including delivering supplies and cargo. One of the systems accumulated more than 1,600 km across various missions, while another platform travelled 384 km before its first scheduled maintenance after completing approximately seven to ten missions.

Company representatives noted that missions during the exercise in Latvia were conducted primarily during daylight hours, whereas in Ukraine the UGVs are often used at night to reduce the risk of detection and strikes by FPV drones. There have been known cases where the “Simba” continued operating even after losing a wheel and being struck by an FPV drone.

UGV Laboratory also stated that Simba has already entered serial production in Ukraine. The platform’s declared operational range is up to 70 km, while its payload capacity exceeds 300 kg.

The cost of the basic platform on the Brave1 state marketplace is UAH 507,000. Models in the “M” and “L” configurations are also available on the marketplace for UAH 556,000 and UAH 730,000 respectively.