iRobot sells defence business
Arlington Capital Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire iRobot’s defence & security business, which will operate as a new independent company after the acquisition is complete.
iRobot is a major supplier of UGVs to the US military, and has supplied more than 6,000 of its four-classes of robots - including FirstLook, SUGV, PackBot and Kobra - to customers worldwide.
The new company will be renamed once the acquisition is complete. Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, the new company will have Sean Bielat as its chief executive officer and Tom Frost as its president. Frost is currently the senior vice president and general manager of iRobot’s defence & security business.
Frost said: ‘It is an exciting time for the company. Building on our long history of innovation and technological achievement serving the defence and security markets as a part of iRobot, we are looking forward to continuing our committed, customer focused approach as a new company.
‘We are enthusiastic to have the backing of Arlington Capital, whose expertise in the defence sector and strong capital commitment will accelerate our growth trajectory.’
Chris Stallmann, vice president, Arlington Capital, said: ‘From weight classes of under five to over 300 pounds, we look forward to building upon one of the industry’s broadest and deepest robotics product line offerings.’
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
-
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.