By Tiffany Williams –
CHELMSFORD, Mass. — Teledyne FLIR Unmanned Ground Systems Inc. has been awarded a $44.46 million U.S. Army contract to provide long-term software sustainment and technical support for a military robotic system designed to assist ground forces.
The Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based company received a firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract valued at $44,459,699.
The agreement covers post-production software sustainment for the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II, a program supported by the U.S. Army.
Under the contract, Teledyne FLIR will provide software maintenance, engineering support, systems technical support and sustainment systems technical support during the lifecycle of the robotic platform.
The contract extends through an estimated completion date of Aug. 6, 2031, giving the Army a framework for obtaining continued software and technical services during the coming five years.
Specific work locations have not yet been identified.
Instead, the locations where services will be performed will be determined as individual orders are issued under the contract.
Funding will also be determined with each order rather than being committed entirely at the time of the initial award.
That structure is consistent with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, allowing the Army to order services as needs develop while operating within the overall terms and maximum value of the agreement.
The Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal in Michigan is overseeing the contract.
The contracting office identified the agreement as W912CH-26-D-A106.
The government sought bids for the work through an internet solicitation.
One bid was received.
The award gives Teledyne FLIR responsibility for maintaining and supporting software associated with the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II after the system has entered its post-production phase.
The work goes beyond basic software updates.
It includes engineering support intended to address technical issues that may develop as the system remains in service.
Systems technical support is also included, providing the Army with continued access to expertise connected to the operation and maintenance of the platform.
The sustainment systems technical support portion of the agreement is intended to continue throughout the system lifecycle covered by the contract.
For military equipment that remains in service for extended periods, software support can remain necessary even after the production of the underlying hardware has slowed or ended.
The contract therefore establishes continued technical support for the robotic system rather than representing a new procurement of the robotic vehicles themselves.
The Army did not identify specific quantities of work that will be ordered under the agreement.
Because the contract operates on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity basis, individual requirements can be issued through separate orders as they arise.
Those orders will determine where the work is performed and which funds are used.
The nearly $44.5 million ceiling establishes the overall value associated with the contract but does not mean the entire amount is being spent immediately.
Instead, the Army can issue orders during the contract period for the software sustainment and technical services covered by the award.
The agreement combines firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee elements.
That allows different portions of the work to be structured under different payment arrangements depending on the services required.
The contract represents a significant defense-related award for a company based in Massachusetts.
Teledyne FLIR Unmanned Ground Systems Inc. operates in Chelmsford, placing the work within a broader Massachusetts technology and defense industry that supports federal military programs.
The award also highlights the continuing role of software in the operation of modern military equipment.
Robotic systems depend not only on their physical components but also on software that controls functions, supports operations and allows equipment to remain usable as technical requirements change.
Maintaining that software over the life of a system can require continuing engineering work and specialized technical assistance.
The Army’s contract specifically identifies software maintenance as one of the core services Teledyne FLIR will provide.
Engineering support is another major part of the agreement.
That support can be ordered as needed during the contract period under the terms established by the Army.
Systems technical support and sustainment systems technical support are also included throughout the lifecycle of the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II.
The contract does not specify which military installations or other locations will receive the services first.
Those details will be established through future orders.
The same applies to funding.
Rather than assigning a single funding source at the time of the award, the Army will determine funding when each individual order is placed.
The contract’s estimated completion date of Aug. 6, 2031, provides the Army with several years of continued access to Teledyne FLIR’s software and engineering capabilities.
That extended timeline reflects the sustainment nature of the work.
Post-production sustainment is designed to keep an existing system supported after the initial production phase, ensuring that technical expertise remains available while the equipment continues to be used.
The award does not describe the procurement of a replacement robotic system.
Instead, it focuses on preserving and supporting the software and technical foundation of the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II already associated with the Army program.
The use of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity structure gives the Army flexibility over how much work is ordered and when.
Rather than requiring all services to be defined at the beginning of the contract, the government can issue orders based on operational and sustainment needs during the agreement.
The contract’s mixed pricing structure also gives the government different mechanisms for paying for specific types of work.
Firm-fixed-price portions establish predetermined costs for identified services, while cost-plus-fixed-fee portions allow reimbursement of allowable costs along with an agreed fee.
No individual order values were included in the contract announcement.
There was also no immediate breakdown showing how much of the $44,459,699 ceiling will be directed toward software maintenance compared with engineering or technical support.
The announcement instead establishes the categories of support the company will be responsible for providing.
The Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal will remain the contracting authority responsible for the agreement.
As individual orders are issued, additional details about work locations, funding and specific sustainment requirements may be determined through that contracting process.
The award places Teledyne FLIR in position to remain involved with the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II through at least the summer of 2031 under the current schedule.
For the Army, the agreement creates a long-term mechanism for maintaining the software and technical support needed to sustain the robotic system through its lifecycle.
For the Massachusetts-based contractor, it represents a federal defense contract valued at nearly $44.5 million and a multiyear role supporting one of the Army’s unmanned ground systems.