DSA 2026 – EM&E aunav.BEST: a multimission Combat UGV from Spain
The aunav.BEST [1] is a teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) developed by Spain’s EM&E Group. Unveiled at FEINDEF in May 2025, it is making its first public appearance in Asia at the DSA exhibition. A multimission platform dedicated to EOD, C-IED, CBRN and force protection tasks. With a mass of less than 390 kg and an operating radius up to 20 km, it offers a strong balance between strategic lightness and tactical endurance on the ground. It has been conceived to offer a balanced combination of compact dimensions, payload capacity and endurance, positioning itself as a medium UGV capable of undertaking missions ranging from explosive ordnance disposal to logistics support and casualty evacuation
As a medium-class UGV, aunav.BEST prioritises mobility and stability so that it can be deployed by a small team while still delivering a broad mission envelope. Its mass remains compatible with easy transport and rapid deployment, while its operating radius supports extended tactical operations at some distance from the control station.
The platform features a variable-geometry; the height-adjustable design allows varying the platform height from 685 mm to 950 mm, allows to optimise the vehicle centre of gravity and ground clearance according to payloads, terrain, obstacles and mission profiles. This flexibility improves stability and access, whether the UGV is negotiating urban clutter, operating inside buildings or carrying bulky mission kits.
The system is intended for a wide variety of scenarios: neutralisation of improvised explosive devices, reconnaissance in contaminated environments, force protection tasks, surveillance, logistics support and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). This multi-mission philosophy is aligned with EM&E Group’s wider aunav family strategy, which already includes platforms such as aunav.NEO and aunav.NEO HD, known for their EOD/CBRN capabilities and variable-geometry designs.
Its chassis is made of a central section to which four tracked flippers, two front and two rear, are attached. Its electric propulsion system provides a tactically relevant top speed, allowing the vehicle to keep pace with EOD teams or mechanised units on the move. Endurance extends to several hours of continuous operation, giving operators a comfortable margin for long-duration reconnaissance, close support, or static surveillance missions.
Beyond its role as an intervention vehicle, aunav.BEST stands out through its ability to integrate a wide range of payloads, from specialised EOD tools and CBRN sensors to remotely controlled weapon systems (RCWS). EM&E has already demonstrated compatibility with a remote weapon station, enabling accurate engagement of static or moving threats and making aunav.BEST one of the first fully Spanish UGVs with a credible kinetic-effect capability. At DSA the aunav.BEST was fitted with an EM&E Guardian Aspis RCWS armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun.
The vehicle can also embark a tethered unmanned aerial system used as an elevated electro-optical sensor head to extend the operator’s situational awareness while maintaining a permanent physical link with the UGV. This UGV–tethered UAV combination provides a low-altitude ISR “bubble” that is particularly useful in urban environments, for observing upper floors, rooftops or potential ambush positions beyond direct line of sight.
EM&E places strong emphasis on reducing operator workload, on the principle that the human should focus on the tactical situation rather than on driving the robot. To this end, aunav.BEST incorporates an advanced suite of operator-assistance functions, including automatic platform stabilisation, centre-of-gravity management and real-time driving aids to help negotiate stairs, ramps and uneven ground. These automation features simplify navigation by keeping the vehicle levelled without constant operator input. In high-risk C-IED or CBRN contexts, this assistance helps to minimise handling errors and speeds up the deployment of sensors or neutralisation tools, thereby improving both mission effectiveness and operator safety.
Exhibited for the first time in Asia at DSA, aunav.BEST embodies EM&E Group’s ambition to reinforce its footprint on the international military-robotics market. Building on the operational successes of aunav.NEO and aunav.NEO HD with national and export customers, the company is now expanding its portfolio with a medium UGV clearly oriented towards combat and fully integrable into modern C2 and C-UAS architectures.
For armed forces and security agencies seeking a teleoperated ground system that combines mobility, payload capacity, modular armament and advanced driving assistance, aunav.BEST emerges as a coherent and forward-looking option, ready to serve as a reference platform for future concepts of operation involving combat robotics.
Photos by J. Roukoz
[1] aunav is a registered trademark of EM&E Group for Autonomous Robotic Systems (RAS), and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV)used in the defense and security sectors.
