Here’s who will build the Army’s heavy common robot

WASHINGTON — The Army has chosen FLIR’s Kobra robot to serve as its heavy version of the Common Robotic System that will be used for explosive ordnance disposal and other heavy-duty jobs.

The production contract will run for a period of five years and could be worth up to $109 million.

The Army wanted its Common Robotic System-Heavy (CRS-H) to weigh up to 700 pounds and to carry a variety of sensors and payloads to support missions.

“The Kobra [unmanned ground vehicle] delivers unmatched strength, power and payload support in an easy-to-operate robot package,” according to a FLIR statement sent to Defense News.

Kobra has a lift capacity of 330 pounds and can stretch up to eleven-and-a-half feet to get at difficult-to-reach places, but it is also still nimble enough to climb jersey barriers and fit into the back of a standard utility vehicle, according to FLIR.