HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Marathon Robotics inaugurated the nation’s first autonomous ground robot production facility for military and police training in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park today. A Ribbon Cutting for the new North American Headquarters and production space took place on Monday, April 10, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The facility is located at 4950 Gilmer Drive, NW, Suite B, Huntsville, AL 35805.
Company President Ralph Petroff noted, “These robots solve a fundamental problem for militaries and law enforcement – – the ONLY time they practice shooting bullets at realistic moving targets is in a real firefight.”
Congressman Dale Strong (AL-05), Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Lynn Troy, Board Chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, attended and made remarks, followed by a facility tour and live-fire simulation.
Congressman Strong remarked, “Alabama is the best place in the nation for businesses supporting America’s aerospace, aviation and defense communities. I’ve had the opportunity to practice shooting these robots. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), it’s my honor to play a role in ensuring our Warfighters have what they need to be successful.”
Strong continued, “Marathon is helping our men and women in uniform to be more effective and prepared. Before Marathon, we asked the men and women of our armed forces to go to foreign lands and fight after having only shot at a piece of paper or simple pop-up targets. Our government needs to take advantage of cutting edge technology like Marathon’s autonomous robots to protect our nation. This new facility highlights Marathon’s commitment to ensuring the safety of America and to investing in our community.”
Mayor Battle said, “I want to thank Marathon for their investment in our city. This technology was a perfect candidate for the Alabama Robotic Technology Park, and now we’re proud they’ve chosen to expand in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park. Marathon is a great example of how industry supports Redstone Arsenal, our economy and our armed forces.”
The new facility will support manufacturing of the company’s Autonomous Robotic Training Systems, which consist of realistic mannequins mounted on armored, intelligent robots capable of safely operating on unimproved ranges in support of military and law enforcement. The robots move independently, flinching or lying down when shot, and can scream as they run for cover or charge toward the firing line. The result is greatly increased readiness for armed forces and law enforcement, reducing combat stress, improved accuracy and better outcomes in shoot/no-shoot decisions.
The systems are already widely used by the US Marine Corps and by select Army, Navy, SOCOM and federal law enforcement customers as well as partner nations on 4 continents.
For more information, please contact: Roy Priest
VP Marathon USA 256.656.6333
[email protected]