QinetiQ North America yesterday said Australia’s Department of Defense has chosen the Dragon Runner™ 20 (DR20) robot to support military robotic missions, over competition from a Boeing [BA] iRobot [IRBT] team.
QinetiQ won a five-year, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract in the competitive effort to equip the Australian Army with small unmanned ground vehicles.
DR20 can take on a wide range of military activities, providing a rugged, flexible solution for ordnance disposal, reconnaissance, inspection and security missions, the company said in a statement. The robot can serve as the team’s forward eyes and ears, providing situational awareness and critical information before personnel are deployed. DR20 can also take direct action by disrupting threats and deploying countermeasures.
With this award, QinetiQ expands the global footprint of its deployed military robotic systems.
QinetiQ has worked collaboratively with the Australian military in the unmanned ground vehicle sector over several years to prove the reliability and durability of its robotic systems, beginning with deployment of its larger TALON® military robot. Both the TALON and DR20 robots are used by the U.S. and U.K. militaries.
“From the perspective of interoperability, it’s useful to establish common robotic platforms,” said QinetiQ North America Technology Solutions Group President J.D. Crouch. “Dragon Runner 20 now supports British and Australian military missions as well as U.S. military and first responder missions. It’s a versatile, proven solution that is actively deployed in Afghanistan today.”
QinetiQ North America (QNA) is a subsidiary of the U.K.-based QinetiQ Group plc. QinetiQ Australia was formed in February 2008.