Qinetiq gets claws into Sydney

Qinetiq has announced plans to establish a service and support centre for its Talon robots in Sydney, Australia, with Pacific Security and Environmental Solutions (PSES).

Under the agreement, PSES will hold a stock of Talon spare parts in its Sydney warehouse and provide technical support, service repairs and overnight shipment of components as necessary.

‘As the Talon customer base continues to grow, we will need to provide our customers with a corresponding level of service and support across the globe,’ explained Chrys Stevenson, a UK business development director for Qinetiq.

The 45kg Talon robot is a remotely operated tracked bomb disposal vehicle that can operate up to a kilometre away from the explosive device. Equipped with all-weather, day and night capabilities, the all-terrain robot is also used for reconnaisance, communications, sensing, security, defence and rescue operations.

According to Qinetiq, the Talon’s modular design enables damaged parts to be easily swapped in the field, as well as sensors and accessories to be integrated without difficulty. It can be controlled by radio frequency or fibre optic link from an attache-sized operator control unit.

Talon robots are manufactured in North America and there are more than 1,000 Talons in operation in the field.