SIG Sauer have announced that they have acquired General Robotics, an Israel-based technology defense company that develops robots and remote weapon systems. This is part of SIG Sauer’s effort to become a one-stop shop for land systems: weapons, ammunition, optics, research and development and now remote weapon systems.
SIG Sauer @ TFB:
Here’s a video of one of General Robotics’ PITBULL remote-controlled weapon systems.
The pairing of SIG Sauer’s weapons and General Robotics’ remote systems is a sensible one, bringing two elements of a weapon system in-house. Below is a close-up of a General Robotics Remote Weapon Station fitted with a SIG MG338.
Here’s SIG Sauer’s announcement in full:
SIG SAUER is extremely excited to announce the acquisition of General Robotics, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of lightweight remote weapon stations and tactical robotics for manned and unmanned platforms and anti-drone applications.
Ron Cohen, President and CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. began, “This acquisition will greatly enhance SIG SAUER’s growing portfolio of advanced weapon systems. The team at General Robotics is leading the way in the development of intuitive, lightweight remote weapon stations with their battle-proven solution.”
Recently, the U.S. Army selected the SIG SAUER lightweight machine gun (XM250), automatic rifle (XM7), and high-pressure hybrid ammunition for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program, representing a historic step forward in weapons technology. The NGSW program is currently in the early stages of adoption and the U.S. Army will field the weapons at the squad level in 2023.
“The combination of the General Robotics remote weapons station with SIG SAUER’s lightweight squad weapons and high-pressure hybrid ammunition will revolutionize small arms for military forces worldwide. This acquisition exponentially increases the capabilities of our lightweight weapon systems delivering transformative advancements in mobility, greater lethality and battle tested force protection for today’s warfighters,” continued Cohen.
“General Robotics and all our employees are honored to join forces with global defense leader SIG SAUER to integrate our platforms into a single solution to support military units around the world,” concluded Shahar Gal, CEO, General Robotics.