The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) has selected L3Harris Technologies for an $18 million contract to deliver up to 50 medium-sized T4 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robots to defeat explosive threats located within confined urban spaces. The contract includes providing robots, in-country support, maintenance, training and follows L3Harris’ successful delivery of Project STARTER, a program that replaced the legacy fleet of large EOD robots with 122 T7™ systems that have been fully operational since 2019. This contract award with the U.K. follows L3Harris’ successful award for T4 and T7 variants to the Australian Defence Force. Those robots will be delivered to Australia starting in mid-2024 as part of their Land-154 program to enhance EOD unit capabilities in improvised explosive device neutralization and exploitation as well as route clearance. The U.S. Air Force also ordered more than 100 T7 robots to support their EOD missions around the world, many of which have been delivered and are now fully operational.
“We’re ready to deliver these critical systems to the U.K. armed forces for their EOD operators. The T4 robots offer many of the same capabilities and intuitive control as the T7 robot but in a more compact footprint, allowing operators to safely access threats in much smaller spaces,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris.
“Like the T7, the T4 robots will play an integral role in enhancing the EOD capabilities leveraged by the British Army. Critical to the MOD’s land modernization ambitions is the prioritization of agile, modular and highly capable technology built to tackle the demands of the future threat environment. The versatile T4 is a significant step forward in achieving this,” said Lt. Gen. Simon Hamilton, Director General Land, Defence Equipment and Support U.K. MOD.
T4 robot has the power and dexterity to support the most demanding commercial and military missions, including explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) detection and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) clearance. With its flexible design, human-like precision and best-in-class reach and strength, T4 allows operators to quickly access, inspect and defeat hazardous threats in tight urban spaces, as well as austere environments. T4 provides unmatched strength, reach, intuitive control and robustness in a compact, rugged package to deliver uncompromised performance anywhere – even the harshest environments. T4 is the first medium-sized robot with haptic feedback, an advanced technology that allows operators to feel exactly what the robotic arm touches or holds. Through its unique user interface, the robot arm mirrors the movement of the user’s hand, minimizing required training and maximizing mission effectiveness. T4’s intuitive haptic control enables difficult manipulation tasks, such as unzipping bags and opening glove boxes, to be performed quickly and easily – keeping operators out of harm’s way.
L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produces command and control systems and products, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics and electronic systems, night vision equipment, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. They specialize in surveillance solutions, microwave weaponry, and electronic warfare. It was formed from the merger of L3 Technologies (formerly L-3 Communications) and Harris Corporation on June 29, 2019, which made it the sixth-largest defense contractor in the United States.
