Marlborough Communications Limited (MCL) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), will deliver four Remote Platoon Vehicles (RPVs) to support and enhance experimentation and capability development for UK land operations, with MCL becoming a major contractor to the UK MoD RPV Framework Group.
The RPVs, designed and manufactured by IAI’s ELTA Systems group, are robust, versatile multi-purpose/multi-mission platforms that support and complement troops on the ground and enhance their force protection in battlefield conditions. In addition to their intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, the RPVs can provide logistic support by carrying platoon equipment, supplying ammunition and extracting casualties. They can be operated in manual, remote or autonomous modes.
Shane Knight, Managing Director, MCL, said: “We’re delighted to have secured our first contract with our partner IAI. This is testament to our heritage in integrating and delivering industry-leading capabilities for the UK MoD, working with specialist technology partners such as IAI. Securing the Spiral 2 contract has been a collaborative team effort, and the first step toward exploring new opportunities within the UK.”
Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, said: “IAI Land Division’s autonomous vehicles provide a wide range of multi-domain multi-mission solutions to team with manoeuvring ground forces while providing vital tools to commanders and leaders. IAI’s Land Division is built on the understanding of our need to support ground forces in the field and ensure minimal danger and risk to the troops, this while transferring information in real-time. IAI is proud to collaborate with an additional European partner, to supply advanced combat solutions, and further the company’s presence in the region as part of our overarching strategy. We are confident that the fruitful collaboration with MCL will provide the UK Mod, cutting-edge technologies and capabilities.”
MCL was previously awarded a contract to supply 4 Mission Adaptable Platform System unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to Spiral 1 of the RPV Experimentation Programme, which is an MoD Future Capability Group project to determine the future requirements of UGVs through a series of trials.
New technology partner IAI, an Israeli based advanced systems provider, has more than 15 years’ experience in developing and manufacturing land operational autonomous systems.
IAI’s Land Division demonstrated its latest developments on an autonomous Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) equipped with a full suite of situational awareness, target acquisition and force protection sensors, ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) and weapon stations to the Israel
Defense Force (IDF) and the Israel’s Ministry of Defense. IAI’s land division provides a full spectrum of tactical radars, autonomous solutions, and fused active and passive sensors and systems to provide multi-mission solutions, including Counter Rocket Artillery Missile (C-RAM), Counter Unmanned Aerial (C-UAS), Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD), Counter IED and mines, situational awareness, surveillance and reconnaissance, and border, coastal and site protection.
