QinetiQ-North America (formerly Foster-Miller), the designer and manufacturer of TALON Unmanned Ground Vehicles, has a long history in robotics for inspection, materials movement, and unmanned ground vehicles for military and non-military applications. In the early 1990s, the Office of Naval Research gave Foster-Miller grants to develop a device that could communicate with a human controller and clear a minefield in the surf. In 1995, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, provided additional funding for further robot development. In 2000, the first TALON UGV’s were deployed in Bosnia to move unexploded grenades. TALON was also used extensively at the site of the World Trade Center in New York after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The commander in charge was impressed with their all round operational ability.  Two years later when the initial Iraq conflict started, TALON was used extensively for IED operations. Today in both Iraq & Afghanistan, it continues to meet the ever-changing demands of detecting and clearing mines, unexploded ordnance and dangerous improvised explosive devices while keeping operators at a safe distance.

 The ABSL Li-Ion battery supporting 1,000’s of fielded TALON UGV’s in theater and 10’s of thousands of counter IED missions round the world is ….etc (however you want to close – contributes to the safety of UK and coalition forces…etc)