LONDON — In a move to bolster its explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capabilities, the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) has inked an $18 million deal with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX), a leading disruptor in the defense industry, to procure up to 50 medium-sized T4™ robots. These robots will be deployed to combat explosive threats within confined urban spaces, marking a significant advancement in the MOD’s efforts to modernize its defense infrastructure.
The contract encompasses the delivery of robots, in-country support, maintenance, and training, building upon L3Harris’ successful track record, including the completion of Project STARTER, which replaced the legacy fleet of large EOD robots with 122 T7™ systems operational since 2019.
“Critical to the MOD’s land modernization ambitions is the prioritization of agile, modular, and highly capable technology built to tackle the demands of the future threat environment. The versatile T4 is a significant step forward in achieving this,” remarked Lt. Gen. Simon Hamilton, Director General Land, Defence Equipment and Support, U.K. MOD.
Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris, expressed readiness to deliver the T4 systems to the U.K. armed forces, highlighting their intuitive control and compact footprint, enabling operators to safely navigate smaller spaces while accessing threats.
This agreement with the U.K. follows L3Harris’ recent success in securing contracts with the Australian Defence Force for T4 and T7 variants, aimed at enhancing EOD unit capabilities in improvised explosive device neutralization and exploitation, as well as route clearance.
