QinetiQ North America has finalized a contract with the U.S. Army Common Robotic System-Individual (CRS-I) for small ground robots. The seven-year deal is worth up to $165 million, QinetiQ release states.

The contract includes an LRIP (Low Rate Initial Production) phase, which is worth $20 million over the first two years. The service has placed a $4 million order as part of the first phase.

Follow-on contracts and other options could boost the deal up to $400 million for approximately 3,000 ground robots.

CRS-I is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that is small enough for a soldier to carry in a backpack. The UGV is remotely controlled and features an interoperability chassis to support various types of payloads and missions to detect, identify, and counter hazards.

These new UGVs, which could be entering a modern battlefield by fiscal 2020, "will provide the dismounted soldier with enhanced situational awareness, force protection and increased standoff capability from enemy threats," QinetiQ states.

"Providing robust, reliable, and exceptionally capable ground robots to support our armed services has been a driving passion at QNA for decades now," said Jeff Yorsz, President of QinetiQ North America. "Our CRS-I robot combines performance, intuitive control, and easy transport with a very competitive price point. This will redefine the market for next-generation back-packable robots."

CRS-I is a significant shift towards the Army’s modernization effort to transform its disorganized UGV fleet used in Middle East conflicts to a more uniform chassis.

The UGV features a universal controller capable of controlling current and future UGV platforms, as well as an "open architecture common mobility platform allowing for future capability growth," QinetiQ states.

By modernizing infantry units with robotics and AI technologies, the Army is developing a lethal force for the modern battlefield.