DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

TALON

defense ugvproductionby QinetiQ

Small durable tracked robot widely fielded by the US military for EOD, reconnaissance and CBRN missions; thousands fielded with long-running sustainment…

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Manufacturer
QinetiQ
Form factor
defense_ugv
Maturity
production
Lifecycle
active
Deployments
20
Website
qinetiq.com ↗

The verified answer

As of Sep 2026, DEPLOY verifies TALON, a defense ugv by QinetiQ (production): 20 verified deployments on record. 3 sources back the record.

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Key facts

Public

LSE: QQ (UK public company, company number 04586941)

Founded

2001, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK (spun out of UK Ministry of Defence research labs)

CEO

Steve Wadey (appointed Apr 2015; ex-MBDA UK Managing Director)

Focus

Defense and security technology: test/evaluation, directed energy, autonomous systems, cyber, intelligence

Strategy

Organic-Plus strategy targeting GBP2.4B organic revenue by FY27; Avantus US acquisition integrated

Scale

Publicly traded; Wadey holds ~0.14% shares (~741,732 shares)

Specs

Role

EOD/recon/CBRN

Config

tracked

Data & sources

Web sources

3

3 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for TALON. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Deployments (20)

  • TALON at Ground Zero, New York, USAended

    TALON robots used at Ground Zero after September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack for search and rescue operations in the rubble.

  • TALON at Iraq (Iraqi Army)operational

    QNA received new contract to ship additional TALON robots to the Iraqi Army.

  • TALON at Fukushima, Japanended

    Modified TALON robot deployed to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for radiation mapping.

  • TALON at Spainoperational

    TALON deployed in 30 countries including Spain, used for EOD missions by Spanish military EOD teams.

  • TALON at Israel (IDF operations)operational

    TALON deployed in 30 countries including Israel, used for EOD and reconnaissance by Israeli military.

  • TALON at Indiaoperational

    TALON deployed in 30 countries globally including India.

  • TALON at Boston, Massachusetts, USAended

    TALON robots used during Boston Marathon bombing search and follow-up EOD operations.

  • TALON at Canadaoperational

    TALON deployed in 30 countries including Canada.

  • TALON at United Statesended

    TALON robots deployed to Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack for search and reconnaissance operations in the rubble.

  • TALON at Japan (JGSDF Trials)ended

    Modified TALON robot deployed to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for radiation reconnaissance after the March 2011 disaster.

See all 20 deployments →

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TALON on the deployment map

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Where TALON is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.

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Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Deployment-verified media (1)

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of QinetiQ

QinetiQ's introduction of its TALON VI tracked robot, showing its manipulator arm and obstacle mobility under operator control. TALON is a teleoperated EOD and ISR robot (a legacy Foster-Miller platform), not autonomous.

From deployment: United States

Safety record

No incidents on record for TALON.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (3)

  1. https://www.army-technology.com/news/qinetiq-north-america-talon-robots/
  2. https://www.qinetiq.com/products/robotics/talon
  3. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/talon-robots-in-service-with-us-military

Common questions

What is TALON?
Small durable tracked robot widely fielded by the US military for EOD, reconnaissance and CBRN missions; thousands fielded with long-running sustainment contracts.
How much does TALON cost?
TALON's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for TALON from QinetiQ. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is TALON actually deployed in the real world?
Yes. TALON is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
Who makes TALON?
TALON is made by QinetiQ, based in Farnborough, United Kingdom, founded in 2001.
Where is TALON deployed?
20 verified deployments of TALON are on the DEPLOY registry, including at Ground Zero, New York, USA, Iraq (Iraqi Army), Fukushima, Japan.
Can you buy TALON?
TALON is in commercial deployment and is sold to operators; contact the manufacturer to buy, and see the pricing section for any recorded price.
What are alternatives to TALON?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable defense_ugv robots to TALON include THeMIS, ROOK, MTGR, Mission Master SP.
How does TALON compare to THeMIS?
TALON and THeMIS (Milrem Robotics · 22 deployments) are both defense_ugv robots on the DEPLOY registry. TALON has 20 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is TALON a top defense_ugv?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, TALON ranks in roughly the top 8% of defense_ugv models tracked by the registry.
What is TALON's maturity stage?
TALON is at the production stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Production stage means high-volume manufacture and commercial-scale deployments are sustained.
Is TALON safe?
TALON has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-12

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: production

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: defense_ugv

Sources by quality tier

3
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for TALON.

Recent coverage

TALON in third-party press

NATO tests British counter-drone system in Baltic exercise

Sep 4, 2026

NASA’s Hunt To Replace Its Iconic T-38 Talon Jets Kicks Off

Aug 28, 2026

Project Talon Portfolio puts mission autonomy at the center of future CCA operations

Aug 17, 2026