General Dynamics Robotic Systems is a part of General Dynamics Land Systems (Sterling Heights, Mich.), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

General Dynamics Robotic Systems will manufacture the semi-autonomous security vehicles and provide spare parts, training and technical services for a five-year period. The work will be done at its Westminster, Md., production facility.

Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada will receive the first four robotic security vehicles produced under this program. Since 2005, the MDARS demonstration vehicles have been evaluated at the depot logging more than 8,000 hours and 28,000 miles of service.

MDARS autonomously conducts surveillance activities including checking for intruders, remotely investigating alarm sources, monitoring high-value inventory and assessing facility barriers, such as the doors of storage bunkers. MDARS is a diesel-powered, 4-wheel hydrostatic-drive vehicle, with a payload capacity of 500 lbs. The vehicle is equipped with a real-time obstacle avoidance system and 360-degree sensors. It can operate for 16 hours without refueling and at speeds up to 20 miles per hour.

“General Dynamics Robotic Systems has taken MDARS from concept to full-scale production,” said Phil Cory, vice president, General Dynamics Robotic Systems. “MDARS will minimize numerous physical burdens to Hawthorne’s human security force while reducing their exposure to potentially deadly situations.”