By Ann Roosevelt
iRobot Corp. [IRBT] Future Combat Systems (FCS) contract is now valued at about $63 million with the April 21 announcement of a $6 million agreement on the acceleration of the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) with the FCS Lead Systems Integrator (LSI) Boeing [BA] and SAIC [SAI] .
SUGV is a tactical reconnaissance robot designed to help soldiers gather intelligence in dangerous or inaccessible areas. Modeled after the combat-proven iRobot PackBot, SUGV has multiple video sensors for real-time day/night tactical situational awareness, and at just under 30 pounds with a rugged lightweight body, SUGV is easily carried and can be deployed easily. The robot can provide real-time intelligence and, when linked to the FCS network, data and images can be dispersed to other soldiers and platforms.
SUGV was accelerated Jan. 17 and this contract award accelerates the delivery of 25 FCS SUGV robots for testing this month to the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) (Defense Daily, Jan. 18).
The AETF at Ft. Bliss, Texas, is evaluating other FCS technologies in an effort to spin off systems, if ready, to the current force. FCS is the Army’s major modernization program consisting of 14 programs and a network that ties systems and platforms to each other and to soldiers.
Next month, the AETF will begin training, evaluating and testing the SUGVs. What AETF soldiers find out about SUGV capabilities and limitations will be part of a recommendation to Army leaders on a production decision likely in September. FCS will procure some of these early SUGV units and then transition to the full network-capable SUGV as scheduled by the FCS program.
Even as the AETF examines SUGV for early capability, the SUGV Systems Development and Demonstration program will continue to mature the SUGV with its full network capability (Defense Daily, April 13, 2004).
In 2003, iRobot was selected by the Army and LSI to develop a next-generation SUGV for the FCS program.
“iRobot is committed to supporting infantry with revolutionary, combat-proven robots that provide soldiers a decisive advantage on the battlefield, while helping to keep them out of harm’s way,” Helen Greiner, cofounder and chairman of iRobot, said. “With this agreement, as well as the recently announced accelerated testing schedule for FCS SUGV robots, it is clear the U.S. Army truly values the mission critical role robots play in theater as part of warfighters’ teams.”
iRobot’s PackBot was first used in Afghanistan in 2002 clearing caves and other dangerous areas. To date, some 1,400 have been delivered to military and commercial users world-wide.