FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies, recently delivered the 1,000th robot under its Man Transportable Robot System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) contract with the U.S Army and other services.
Produced at the FLIR Defense facility in Elkridge, Maryland, the MTRS Inc II ground robot (also known as Centaur) is used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams to disable improvised explosive devices, landmines, and unexploded ordnance and to perform similar dangerous tasks. Operators also can quickly attach different sensors and payloads to the robot to address other missions, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
The U.S. Army chose FLIR Defense (formerly Endeavor Robotics) in 2017 as the MTRS Inc. II system provider for a multi-year program of record. Since then, other military branches have procured the robot for their EOD units as a new or replacement unmanned ground system. Teledyne FLIR Defense has received orders for over 1,800 MTRS Inc. II robots from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, totaling more than $250 million.
“We are honored that this versatile robot has become the most widely produced tactical unmanned ground vehicle used by America’s military since the Gulf Wars,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of FLIR Defense. “Our team in Elkridge and around the world is proud to build technology platforms like Centaur that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines rely on to keep them from harm’s way during hazardous missions.”
The MTRS Inc II robot is a medium-sized UGV that provides a standoff capability to detect, confirm, identify, and dispose of hazards. Weighing roughly 160 pounds, the rugged robot features an advanced visual/thermal camera suite for day/night operation, a dexterous manipulator arm that reaches over six feet, and the ability to climb stairs. Modular payloads can be used for CBRN detection and other operations.
