British Army to get ‘world’s most capable’ bomb disposal robots

The British Army is set to feature advanced bomb disposal robots that will help neutralize threats, including explosives and hazardous materials.

The batch will consist of 50 high-tech, medium-sized T4 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robots from L3Harris Technologies, which will help soldiers attend to thousands of callouts every year all over the country.

The £21 million deal with the Tewkesbury-based firm will see it provide the first T4 units before the end of 2024.

“The T4 EOD robots are the world’s most capable robots for operations in crowded and difficult environments like subways, airports, and even hospitals,” said Ed Zoiss, President of Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris, in a statement.

The contract encompasses the provision of robots, in-country support, maintenance, and training, building upon L3Harris’ achievement in Project STARTER. The initiative effectively replaces the older fleet of large EOD robots with the firm’s 122 T7 systems, which have been fully operational since 2019.

Enhancing mission efficiency

Featuring sturdy all-terrain treads and a movable manipulation arm, the T4 can maneuver in cramped urban areas. It can climb stairs. It can even fit through short aisles in buses, trains, and airplanes.

T4 stands out as the inaugural medium-sized robot featuring haptic feedback, an advanced technology enabling operators to sense precisely what the robotic arm encounters or grasps.

According to the firm, the robot arm’s distinctive user interface mimics the motion of the user’s hand, reducing training demands and enhancing mission efficiency.

T4’s intuitive haptic control facilitates swift and effortless execution of challenging manipulation tasks, like unzipping bags and opening glove boxes, ensuring operators’ safety by keeping them clear of danger zones.

The T4 boasts impressive specifications, including a runtime of over 7 hours with 6 BB-2590 batteries, a skid steer track system for mobility, and the ability to climb stairs and traverse steep slopes.

The robot is also equipped with multiple cameras for enhanced visibility. It offers a Line-Of-Sight (LOS) range of over 3300 ft and a non-LOS range exceeding 660 ft.

Operating in temperatures from -4°F to +140°F, it’s electromagnetic interference-shielded for use with active jammers, has a maximum fording depth of 12 inches, and is sealed with IP66 for durability in various environmental conditions.

Agile, compact, effective

The T4s, which weigh slightly more than 220 pounds (100 kilograms), are much lighter and more agile than their 661-pound (300 kilogram)-bigger brother, the T7. Because of their modest size, which allows them to fit inside a typical 4×4 truck, the T4s will be utilized as the fast response system in emergency scenarios.

Nonetheless, both models employ “advanced haptic feedback,” which lowers the risk to the explosive ordnance operators’ lives by enabling them to “feel” their way through the challenging procedure of disarming weapons from a safe distance.

“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 Zoiss.

After undergoing thorough testing, the systems have been contracted by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement branch of the UK MOD, with an initial three-year commitment to in-service maintenance and repair support.

“The T4’s will enter service with the 29 EOD & Search Group and the Diving Threat and Exploitation Group, Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG) and Cyprus Operational Support Unit (COSU),” said Major General Lizzie Faithfull-Davies, Director Land Equipment at DE&S.

This contract win with the UK comes after L3Harris successfully awarded the Australian Defence Force with the T4 and T7 versions. As part of the Land-154 program, which aims to improve EOD unit capabilities in improvised explosive device neutralization and exploitation and route clearance, those robots will be shipped to Australia beginning in mid-2024.

In addition, the US Air Force placed orders for over 100 T7 robots, many of which have already been delivered and are up and running, to assist its EOD missions worldwide.