U.S. Army orders more small unmanned ground vehicles from iRobot

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

BEDFORD, Mass., 1 April 2011. iRobot Corp., a provider of robotic technology-based solutions, announced that the U.S. Army plans to procure two additional low-rate initial production brigade sets of model 320 small unmanned ground vehicles (SUGVs). The Defense Acquisition Board approved the purchase of additional SUGVs under the Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM) program in February, enabling the delivery of 76 total SUGVs for two additional infantry brigade sets. iRobot continues to develop the follow-on variant of the SUGV—designed to provide enhanced processing, sensor, and communication capabilities in the 2012 timeframe--for the BCTM program.

To date, iRobot has delivered 45 SUGVs as part of the Army’s low-rate initial production contract for the first brigade set of BCTM Increment 1 capabilities.

“We are pleased that the U.S. Army has announced its intent to procure two more brigade sets of SUGV,” says Robert Moses, president of iRobot’s Government and Industrial Robots division. “It’s a testament to the positive feedback we have received about SUGV since being fielded. These robots are meeting Army requirements and performing as expected on the battlefield.”

iRobot and Boeing teamed to develop the SUGV, a smaller and lighter version of the combat-proven PackBot. It provides warfighters real-time awareness of critical situations and enables them to complete dangerous missions from safe standoff distances.