Bomb-Diffusing Robot Company Signs $30M Australian Defense Contract

L3Harris Technologies has signed a $30 million contract with the Australian Defense Force (ADF) to provide 80 of its bomb-defusing robots to the force.

L3Harris will begin delivering the robots at the end of this year. Specifically, it will provide its T4 and T7 robots, which are medium- and large-scale (respectively) unmanned mobile robots designed to traverse a variety of terrains, and fitted with a mobile arm to engage with objects around it. 

Both feature haptic control, and operators can switch between control of different robots if multiple units are deployed.

“We’re honored that the Australian Defence Force has put its trust in us to help safeguard its personnel,” said Ed Zoiss, L3Harris’ president of space and airborne systems. “The trust in our systems for  explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capabilities is growing around the globe, with units deployed by the U.K., U.S. and now Australia.”

Following the ADF contract, Zoiss said L3 plans to establish a local service center in Australia that will act as a repair hub for all robots within the Asia-Pacific region.

L3Harris’ EOD robots have already been deployed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.K. Ministry of Defense to support explosive diffusion efforts. The U.K. Ministry of Defence replaced its legacy fleet of robots with 122 of L3Harris’ T7 robots, while, since June 2021, the U.S. Air Force has ordered more than 100 T7 robots to support EOD missions worldwide.