Harbinger, an American automotive and industrial manufacturer, announced an unmanned hybrid-electric vehicle platform for defense customers and military applications. Under its new defense business vertical, Harbinger Praesidia, the company is working with government customers and defense prime contractors to configure the unmanned platform for mission-specific applications. This includes flat-deck logistics, field communications, troop transport, perimeter security, and counter-UAS operations. Harbinger also announced that In-Q-Tel (IQT), the not-for-profit strategic investor for the U.S. national security community and America’s allies, has joined as a strategic investor in Harbinger.
Harbinger Praesidia platforms are built on the same clean-sheet designed, medium-duty plug-in hybrid chassis that is leveraged for commercial vehicles. These defense vehicles are autonomous ready, and are designed to be fully teleoperable through Harbinger’s proprietary in-house API. This helps ensure seamless integration with modern tech ecosystems. Harbinger’s proprietary chassis is engineered and assembled in-house in America and features industry-leading battery systems, software, drivetrains and drive-by-wire technology. The platform is designed for missions where payload, power, range, teleoperation, durability and flexible upfit capability are critical.
IQT Strategic Investment
IQT’s strategic investment in Harbinger supports the company’s expansion into government and defense markets. IQT identifies, evaluates and leverages emerging commercial technologies to support the U.S. national security community and America’s allies.
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“Harbinger’s vertically integrated vehicle platform brings together power generation, energy storage, mobility, and flexible configuration in a way that is highly extensible to emerging government and national security needs,” said Sara Jones, Principal, IQT. “Harbinger’s combination of proven commercial vehicle technology and U.S.-based manufacturing aligns with the U.S. government’s effort to leverage cost-effective commercial innovation for military use and makes it a strong fit for IQT’s investment focus.”
Harbinger Co-Founder and CEO John Harris brings direct experience at the intersection of defense technology, hardware engineering and manufacturing, having previously led hardware engineering and manufacturing of Anduril’s first product, Sentry Tower.
“The government needs robust vehicles that can support a wide range of use cases without forcing operators to compromise on payload, range, exportable power or durability,” said Harris. “Our American designed, engineered and assembled vehicles fulfill this need while supporting domestic manufacturing capacity, which is itself a national security asset. At the same time, these unmanned vehicles are engineered to help keep soldiers out of harm’s way without compromising on performance.”
SOURCE: Harbinger
