iRobot announces $13.9m contract for SUGVs

6th January 2011 - 09:57 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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iRobot Corp., a leader in delivering robotic technology-based solutions, today announced that the Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM) Increment 1 production purchase contract has been finalized for a firm fixed price value of $13.9 million.

The contract calls for iRobot to deliver 45 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGVs) as part of the Army's low-rate initial production contract for the first brigade set of BCTM Increment 1 capabilities. To date, 30 SUGVs have been delivered, with the remaining 15 to be delivered in January 2011. The purchase contract also includes training, field service support and spares.

"We are pleased to be delivering these SUGVs so that the Army can continue its verification testing for the BCTM program," said Robert Moses, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots division. "Unmanned ground vehicles have proven their worth on the battlefield, and we believe that SUGV is an incredibly important piece of technology for the Army moving forward."

SUGV is a smaller and lighter version of the combat-proven PackBot. It is designed to give warfighters real-time awareness of critical situations and to allow them to complete missions from safe standoff distances. It is ideal for dangerous reconnaissance missions such as entering buildings, caves and tunnels.

iRobot and Boeing developed the SUGV family of vehicles under a strategic alliance that began in 2007 as part of the Army's BCTM program.

Source: iRobot

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