A Diehl Defence uncrewed ground vehicle has successfully launched Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles for the first time during a five-day live-fire evaluation campaign.
During the trials, the Ziesel UGV fired 17 Spike LR missiles, demonstrating the platform’s ability to withstand structural stress and operational demands under combat firing conditions.
The achievement comes just three months after the Ziesel equipped with a Spike missile launcher was publicly introduced at Enforce Tac 2025 in Nürnberg, Germany.
The testing effort was carried out jointly by Diehl Defence, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and EuroSpike GmbH, a partnership involving Rafael, Rheinmetall Electronics, and Diehl Defence. Following the successful missile launches, the companies intend to continue development work and conduct additional demonstrations of the armed robotic platform.
The Ziesel is an upgraded version of earlier uncrewed ground vehicle concepts and is available in several mission variants, including logistics support, casualty evacuation, and weapon carrier configurations. Measuring 1.6 meters by 1.3 meters, the platform can carry payloads exceeding 500 kilograms while reaching speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour using electric propulsion.
The vehicle is equipped with Diehl Defence’s PLATON autonomy suite, allowing it to autonomously navigate obstacles and operate without dependence on active sensors vulnerable to enemy detection or electronic jamming. The Ziesel is already operational and is undergoing testing and evaluation with multiple armed forces, including military users in Germany and Ukraine.
