DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing And iRobot Team Delivers 1st SUGVs To US Air Force

Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing And iRobot Team Delivers 1st SUGVs To US Air Force

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing - Dated January 31, 2011

(NSI News Source Info) HUNTSVILLE, Ala., - February 2, 2011: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and partner iRobot Corp. [NASDAQ: IRBT] today announced that they have delivered the first 30 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGV) under a contract with the U.S. Air Force for the service's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. This is the first task order of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract which runs through September 2012.

"We are pleased to work with iRobot to enable Air Force EOD technicians to perform reconnaissance while reducing their exposure to unexploded ordnance," said Mike Huddleston, Robotics program manager for Boeing Network & Tactical Systems.

"Unmanned ground vehicles have been saving lives for years on asymmetric battlefields," said Robert Moses, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots division. "SUGV represents an important advancement in UGV technology because of its light weight and state-of-the-art capabilities. It gives warfighters the ability to deploy the robot at a moment's notice when faced with a variety of dangerous missions."

Boeing and iRobot developed the SUGV family of vehicles under a strategic alliance that began in 2007. The robot is designed to give warfighters real-time awareness of critical situations and allow them to complete missions from safe standoff distances. SUGV is ideal for a variety of mission types, including EOD, route clearance and reconnaissance. As the prime contractor, Boeing provides program management, contracts, and quality-control support from offices in Huntsville. iRobot is responsible for engineering, design, manufacturing, training and logistics services, with the majority of work conducted in Bedford, Mass.

iRobot designs and builds robots that make a difference. The company's home robots help people with smarter ways to clean, and its government and industrial robots protect those in harm’s way. iRobot's consumer and military robots feature iRobot Aware® robot intelligence systems, proprietary technology incorporating advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, visit www.irobot.com.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama and one of the state's largest employers. Current company operations in Huntsville include the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program and other missile defense work, such as the Arrow system and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 seeker, as well as work associated with Ares I, the International Space Station, Army Integrated Logistics, Brigade Combat Team Modernization and engineering for the 787 and the P-8A Poseidon.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 66,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

Contact:

Kathleen M. Cook
Boeing Network & Tactical Systems
Office: 314-233-6818
Mobile: 314-705-2239
kathleen.m.cook@boeing.com

Charlie Vaida
iRobot Corp.
781-430-3182
cvaida@irobot.com

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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iRobot Receives Order from the U.S. Army for $35.3 Million

Company to Deliver 486 PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit Robots
BEDFORD, Mass.-- On Tuesday September 1, 2009, (BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT - News) today announced that it received an order for $35.3 million from the U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Center in Warren, Mich.
This order falls under the $286 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) xBot contract and calls for the delivery of 486 iRobot PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit robots prior to March 31, 2010. The total contract value to date under this IDIQ is approximately $125 million.
“This order is truly a significant milestone for iRobot,” said Joe Dyer, president of iRobot Government and Industrial Robots. “Not only is it the single largest order we have ever received from the military, but it also proves that there is strong and continuing support for our PackBot FasTac platform that was introduced just last year. One of the robot’s strengths is its adaptability. It is well-suited for use by combat engineers, route clearance companies and infantry brigades. This is important as our troops continue to fight wars on multiple fronts, each possessing its own unique mission types and challenges.”
The PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit provides warfighters with the ability to see and assess dangerous areas from safe standoff distances and to clear routes while on the move. The robot is controlled through a ruggedized laptop with game-style controller, operates at speeds of up to 5.8 miles per hour and provides up to four hours of mission run time. In addition, the PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit’s compact arm and precise gripper allow warfighters to safely pick up and identify suspicious objects.
iRobot has delivered more than 2,500 PackBot robots that make a difference every day by conducting dangerous missions that keep warfighters out of harm’s way.
About iRobot Corp.
iRobot designs and builds robots that make a difference. The company’s home robots help people with smarter ways to clean, and its government and industrial robots protect those in harm’s way. iRobot’s consumer and military robots feature iRobot AWARE® robot intelligence systems, proprietary technology incorporating advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com
For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, iRobot Corp.'s expectations concerning estimates of future revenues. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among other things our dependence on the U.S. federal government and government contracts, efforts to expand product offerings may not succeed, changes in the policies and spending priorities of governments and government agencies, the complexities of our products, and reliance on limited source suppliers and third-party manufacturers. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot Corp. undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot Corp., see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report of Form 10-K.
Contact:
iRobot Corp.
Investor Relations:
Elise Caffrey,
781-430-3003
ecaffrey@irobot.com
or
Media Relations:
Nancy Smith,
781-430-3323
nsmith@irobot.com