The Israeli-based startup XTEND said it will supply hundreds of its new Wolverine Gen2 drone systems to the U.S Department of Defense (DoD) to protect U.S. military forces in the field.
The contract follows a joint research & development program led by the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, together with XTEND, and the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD, previously CTTSO) of the DoD.
Made in the U.S., the small, lightweight, and rugged Wolverine is affordable, versatile, and has low power consumption. Easy to use, it enables operators – even those with no flight experience – to perform extremely precise remote tasks, maneuvers, and actions in complex environments (indoor or outdoor), with minimal training and maintenance.
Powered by XTEND’s unique human-centric machine interface technology, this revolutionary new human extension platform facilitates complete sensory awareness, using the most advanced virtual and augmented reality technologies, coupled with advanced Machine Learning flight algorithms.
Using a wearable lightweight system and a natural hand gesture-recognition controller, operators immerse themselves in the remote environment, without physical risk. Employing multi-use payloads and effectors (Modular Add-On Extensions) they may perform complex tasks in support of tactical missions, including surveying enemy territory at ground level or inside dangerous and/or hard to reach indoor environments, explosive ordinance disposal, placement of payloads at desired points of interest and more, without setting foot inside the relevant area.
Enabling combat forces to be everywhere, get real-time visuals and perform surgical precision pick-and-drop tasks, Wolverine extends their operational reach in critical situations where precision and versatility are paramount, giving them battlefield dominance in terms of both operator experience and mission planning.
“The Wolverine system was developed in direct response to the need of forces to conduct complex field and outdoor missions, while maintaining force protection, and without making contact with the enemy,” says Gadi Bar-Ner, Chief Business Officer of XTEND. “For the first time, any user can operate a drone intuitively and without any prior training, giving forces complete autonomy in the field. XTEND systems are combat-proven and used with great success by the IDF in defending borders and forces. We are proud of the close cooperation between XTEND, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the U.S. DoD – as part of which XTEND employs a team of U.S. veterans – and look forward to it continuing.”