The French defense procurement agency (DGA) has taken delivery of first Nerva micro-robots from Nexter.
The first of envisioned 56 units were delivered less than four months after the order was placed at the end of August 2019. They are already in the hands of the Technical Section of the Army (STAT) for further assessments in order to refine the concept of employment before being put into force.
These robots are capable of evolving autonomously to listen, see and record on the battlefield. Weighing five kilos, they are compact and can work in a network. They can carry a range of imaging and sensor payloads in addition to non-lethal weapons.
By the end of 2020, France is scheduled to receive five additional Nerva-LG units, 10 Nerva-S units that weigh 3 kg, and 36 larger Nerva-XX / Caméléon-LG that weigh 12 kg.
The two largest robots in the range have the capacity to return autonomously to a predetermined point after completing surveillance missions on previously-defined trajectories.
Nexter’s delivery of the micro robots follows the company’s delivery of 92 Griffon multi-role heavy armored vehicles (VBMR) to the French Army in late December.
Nexter will also be responsible for the deliveries of Jaguar armored vehicles, starting this year, and the smaller Serval 4x4s from 2022.
