The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has awarded a contract to domestic firm UNAC to supply up to 34 explosive ordnance disposal robots for the French Army.
The award falls under the ROBIN (ROBot INvestigation) program, which aims to provide the Army’s engineering regiments with a heavy robotic platform capable of reconnaissance and operating in hazardous environments.
UNAC, based in Gard, reportedly secured the contract over competitors including Arquus, KNDS, and Soframe. According to the DGA’s April tender, the 1,500-kilogram (3,307-pound) platform must be remotely controllable from several hundred meters and feature an articulated investigation arm with a multifunction tool.
The arm is designed to lift up to 120 kilograms (265 pounds) at a reach of 3.8 meters (12 feet) and will be equipped with integrated cameras, a gripper, grid, and air blow gun.
The platform is derived from UNAC’s Fardier air-droppable all-terrain vehicle, already in use with French special forces and airborne units. The Fardier carries 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) of payload, with an additional 400 kilograms (882 pounds) possible when towing a trailer.
Safran Electronics & Defense will handle the robotization process, integrating hardware and software, including vehicle control, human-machine interface, and data management, while UNAC oversees the complete system’s design, manufacture, assembly, and operational translation of commands into field actions.
