Air Force to get MRAPS for clearing airfields
USAF contracts for 13 Cougars with RADBO Systems
Parsons Government Services Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $39,934,030 contract for the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) vehicle. The contract provides for 13 fully operational MRAP RADBO systems (Cougar, Laser, and Arm) and three spares systems that will provide the warfighter with the ability to effectively identify, disarm and clear unexploded ordnance from an airfield while inside an MRAP Cougar (CAT1A1) vehicle, with little to no collateral damage.
The RADBO system based on a Cougar MRAP has been developed by the U.S. Air Force to clear unexploded bombs from runways. The RADBO began testing at Redstone Test Centre in January 2013.
The RADBO's Zeus III laser allows the operator to trigger an unexploded bomb from up to 300 meters away. The attached Interrogation Arm/claw combo can clear up to 50 pounds of debris. Instead of firing a .50-cal weapon to trigger an unexploded bomb, the crew member operating the vehicle's laser is enclosed, lining up his shot with a camera that offers visual- and infrared-spectrum capabilities. A targeting laser helps guide the blast.
Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8534-20-C-0001).
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