Teledyne segment FLIR Defense has delivered its 1,000th Centaur unmanned ground vehicle to US defense forces.
The milestone is part of an ongoing Man Transportable Robot System Increment II project, which ordered the delivery of FLIR’s Centaur medium-sized unmanned ground vehicles.
Work for the initiative is being conducted at the company’s facility in Elkridge, Maryland.
“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,” FLIR Defense Executive Vice President Dr. JihFen Lei stated.
“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.”
Centaur Unmanned Ground System
The US Army selected Centaur for the multi-year ground robot program in 2017, followed by contracts with other US military services to replace older ground drones or integrate new units.
Centaurs are commonly deployed under explosive ordnance disposal teams to intercept and disable improvised landmines.
The unmanned vehicles can carry payloads and sensors according to user requirements. They feature rugged robot features and an advanced visual/thermal camera suite for day and night operation.
The 160-pound (73-kilogram) robot has a dextrous arm reaching more than six feet (1.87 meters) and can climb stairs.
Alongside explosive ordnance disposal, Centaurs are used for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
Recent FLIR Contracts
The US military awarded FLIR a $62.1 million contract in 2022 to procure nearly 500 Centaur ground drones before the latest milestone.
In 2021, the company received $70 million to deliver 600 additional units to the armed forces.
FLIR has accepted over $250 million to provide more than 1,800 Centaur orders for the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.