Land transportation and border securityQinetiq in $400 million TALON robot contract
There are more than 2,000 TALON robots deployed around the world, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan; they have been used in more than 80,000 counter-IED missions to date; DoD wants more of this useful system
One way to increase the safety of ground transportation — even if military ground transportation — is to use robots. This is what the U.S. Department of Defense is doing by awarding Qinetiq North America’s Technology Solutions Group a new $400 million IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) contract for additional TALON robots and replacement parts for service with the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The contract, awarded by the US Robotic Systems Joint Program Office, is follow-on to the $150 million IDIQ contract awarded in 2007 that has now been fully funded.
More than 2,000 TALON robots are now deployed around the world, with a significant number located in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are used primarily to assist military personnel with detecting and disabling Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). According to Qinetiq, TALON robots have been used in more than 80,000 counter-IED missions to date. “This contract is further evidence of the growing acceptance and willingness on the part of the military to use TALON robots to keep US soldiers and marines as safe as possible,” commented Dr. William Ribich, president of Qinetiq North America’s Technology Solutions Group.