iRobot gets additional $6 million for SUGV development

iRobot has received a $6 million boost to its contract for development of the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, covering the 25 SUGVs now being shipped to the military years ahead of schedule. The company now has $63 million total under the FCS contract. (Note that a decision on whether to move forward now with major purchases of the SUGV Early is expected in the September time frame after initial testing.)

Here is the press release:

iRobot's Future Combat Systems Contract Grows to Over $60 Million
Monday April 21, 8:30 am ET
BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ:IRBT - News) today announced the company reached a funding agreement with the U.S. Army’s Lead Systems Integrator (LSI) of Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation team on the previously determined direction of SUGV acceleration on January 17, 2008 under the Future Combat Systems (FCS) Program. Valued at $6 million, this award adds and accelerates delivery of 25 FCS Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) near-term robots for testing to ultimately provide added capabilities to soldiers in the field. iRobot’s FCS Program contract now totals approximately $63 million.
“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,” said Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman of iRobot. “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.”
In 2003 iRobot announced it was selected by the U.S. Army and its Lead System Integrator team of Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation to develop a next-generation SUGV for the FCS program. FCS is the Army's modernization program consisting of a family of manned and unmanned systems, connected by a common network, that enable warfighters with leading-edge technologies and capabilities for operating in complex environments.
Modeled after the combat-proven iRobot PackBot, SUGV features a rugged, lightweight body enabling a single soldier to easily carry and quickly deploy the robot. It is designed to enter and secure areas that are either inaccessible or extremely risky and dangerous for warfighters, and provide real-time intelligence while allowing the soldiers to maintain a safe distance from the enemy. By being linked in to the FCS network, the images and information gained by the SUGV can rapidly be made available to the warfighter.
To date, iRobot has delivered more than 1,400 PackBot robots to a broad range of military and civilian customers worldwide.

Tags: iRobot, SUGV