Army places biggest order yet for Packbots

BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has placed a new order with iRobot Corp. for the delivery of additional ruggedized route-clearance robot technologies.

Massachusetts-based iRobot was awarded the order as part of its indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Contracting Center.

Under the $35.3 million order, iRobot will deliver 486 of its PackBot 510 route clearance robots with FasTac Kits. Officials say the order, which is expected to be delivered before April 2010, marks the largest order to date as part of the IDIQ contract.

"This order is truly a significant milestone for iRobot," Joe Dyer, iRobot Government and Industrial Robots president, said in a statement.

"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."