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New £55m bomb disposal robots will be in service by 2021

Published on: 19 Sep 2017

A contract worth up to £55 million for innovative bomb disposal robots has been approved by the Ministry of Defence.

Announced at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) Exhibition held at the London Excel between September 12-15th, some 56 robots will be purchased from US robotics manufacturer Harris, with support coming from engineers at Harris EDO MBM Technology in Brighton, where the contract will sustain ten highly skilled jobs.

The Harris T7 robots use ‘advanced haptic feedback’ to allow operators to ‘feel’ their way through the intricate process of disarming from a safe distance.

Equipped with high-definition cameras, lightning-fast datalinks, an adjustable manipulation arm and tough all-terrain treads, the robots are able to neutralise a wide range of threats.

Defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “These state-of-the-art bomb disposal robots will be powerful and reliable companions to our troops on the battlefield, keeping them safe so they can help keep us safe.”

All 56 robots should be in service by December 2020.