TALON Robots for Pakistan
Jul 16, 2013 15:40 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
TALON & IED
Pakistan’s civil war has ebbed somewhat over the last couple of years, but it hasn’t gone away , and Pakistani Taliban guerrillas will eventually return from Syria . Land mines and improvised explosives remain a problem, and the return of highly trained Islamists will make it worse.
The Hurt Locker was a good movie, but nobody wants to do it that way unless they have to….
In July 2013, QinetiQ North America in Waltham, MA received a $7.8 million sole-source, firm-fixed-price Pakistani contract for Talon IV robots , spares, and training. The Talon IV is used by US military EOD (explosive ordnance disposal technicians), using their remote cameras and robotic arm to investigate potential land mines. Once found, they can carry explosives over to the site, and set the charge for subsequent detonation by their human controller.
Work on this contract will be performed in Waltham, MA (99%), and Pakistan (1%) and is expected to be complete by December 2013. It’s a Foreign Military Sale project, with all funds committed immediately, and the US Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, MD manages the buy as Pakistan’s agent (N00174-13-C-0018).
Categories: Asia - Central, Contracts - Awards, Other Corporation, Robots, USA
