Textron, Howe & Howe And Teledyne Flir Selected For Next Phase Of US Army Rcv Program

October 02, 2023

Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today that Team RIPSAW – Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense has been down selected to participate in the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Phase I: Platform Prototype program, an anticipated Army Program of Record (PoR). Team RIPSAW submitted a response to this competitive prototype project solicitation, which was released to members of the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC).

Under Phase 1, the company will deliver two RIPSAW® M3 prototype vehicles in 2024. Upon delivery, the U.S. Army will begin comprehensive testing against published system requirements related to mobility, sensor performance, remote vehicle control and overall systems reliability. In parallel to building and delivering vehicles, Team RIPSAW will complete the preliminary design for the M3 variant.

The RIPSAW M3 is a rugged and reliable RCV platform, leveraging Textron Systems’ nearly four decades of cross-domain uncrewed product design, integration, manufacturing, and fielding experience., Designed to meet stated Army requirements while keeping a focus on transportability and mission versatility, the vehicle is ready to meet the challenges of an everchanging battlefield. It features an open architecture design and common chassis which supports a wide variety of field exchangeable payloads from a basic flat-top deck configuration.

Team RIPSAW has invested in this family of robotic vehicles since 2019 when the RIPSAW M5 system first debuted. Later variants, including the M5-E (electric) and M3 Tech Demonstrator, leveraged the team’s collaboration with industry partners, academia and the U.S. Army to perform multiple mission sets in various environmental and test conditions. Since 2019, the RIPSAW family of vehicles have amassed over 2,000 miles of durability testing.

“The technology behind the family of RIPSAW vehicles demonstrates the innovative approach and experience Howe & Howe has in ground robotic vehicles,” said Senior Vice President Mike Howe. “We’ve developed multiple vehicles, all with the same robotic core, so they’re mission-ready and adaptable as needed.”

“Team RIPSAW combines the specialties of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense, creating a mission-ready system to support the Army’s needs,” said Senior Vice President Land Systems and Sea Systems David Phillips. “Building on our proven cross-domain capabilities and experience, the vehicle has evolved and adapted based on customer feedback, leading us to the RIPSAW M3 of today.”

“We’re proud to be partnered with Textron Systems and Howe & Howe to deliver this unprecedented robotic platform to the U.S. Army,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We’re excited to bring our expertise in providing tethered uncrewed aerial systems, 360-degree situational awareness, and other intelligent sensing technology onto the RIPSAW M3 that will give our soldiers a decisive tactical edge and allow commanders to make better, faster decisions.”

Textron Systems has built thousands of ground vehicles in Slidell, LA over the last several decades for a variety of customers. With a range of experience in cross-domain robotics, Textron Systems has more than two million hours of uncrewed experience across air, land and maritime domains, and participation in cross-domain demonstrations including Project Convergence.

Source : Textron