Howe & Howe Technologies News

Following a train derailment on the Arizona – New Mexico state line on April 26, officials closed eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 40 for a prolonged period of time, as hazardous smoke plumes made driving conditions unsafe and extremely difficult. Firefighters on site watched over a controlled burn of fuel, which consumed most of the train cars. On Sunday, firefighters removed debris from the area to allow for early repair of the tracks. Thankfully, no one was hurt during this...

Howe & Howe, Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, has announced that the company will introduce its Thermite® EV1 firefighting robot at this year’s FDIC International event. The company will be located in booth 5162 at the prestigious fire service event, FDIC International 2023, which is scheduled to take place from April 24 to April 29, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Thermite® EV1 firefighting robot The latest evolution in Howe &a...

Howe & Howe is collaborating with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) to add new and emerging technologies to the training services TEEX offers. Since 1929, TEEX has offered on-site and online training resources for more than 200,000 people per year in areas such as fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, and homeland security. state-of-the-art firefighting robot Howe & Howe are loaning TEEX a Thermite® RS1,...

Firefighting robots have been deployed by a couple of departments in the United States, but the full potential of the technology is just now being realized. “As departments get more exposure to the technology, and learn more about the capabilities, they are more open to using them,” says Paul Ford, Robotics Program Manager, Howe & Howe Technologies. “They are realizing why and how they are being used, and they understand the full capabilities of the technology, not just t...

Howe & Howe, Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, announces that it will participate in FDIC International 2022 with its Thermite® firefighting robot family and the brand-new SWAT-BOT™, mobile ballistic shield all-terrain robot. The company will be located in booth 5061 at the conference, which will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana from April 25-30. Providing fire suppression Howe & Howe’s Thermite family of firefighting robots,...

Technology has played a role in firefighting since the beginning; in fact, portable water pumps were found among the ruins of ancient Egypt. As bucket brigades gave way to electric pumps and internal combustion motors displaced horse-drawn fire engines, firefighting has benefited in terms of greater efficiency and lives saved at each point along the way. Technologies boosting the efforts of firefighters include drones, robots and other high-tech innovations. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable:...

Howe & Howe Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, unveiled its latest innovations for the firefighting community – its next-generation Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as its new, handheld controller. The Thermite EV2 is an all-electric firefighting robot operated by a software-driven controller to effectively target fires with a modular design, including a multi-position nozzle and additional attachments. Thermite EV2 Ho...

Howe & Howe Inc. (Howe & Howe Technologies), a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, has unveiled its latest innovations for the firefighting community, its next-generation Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as its new, hand-held controller. The Thermite EV2 is an all-electric firefighting robot, operated by a software-driven controller, to effectively target fires with modular design, including a multi-position nozzle and additional a...

Textron Systems and Howe & Howe Inc delivered the fourth RIPSAW® M5 vehicle to the U.S. Army, in support of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) medium program. With innovative engineering and systems integration, this vehicle offers unprecedented endurance and revolutionary capabilities. Its hybrid engine allows for quiet maneuvers and increased reliability. speed, mobility, and unmanned capability Leveraging Howe & Howe’s commitment to innovation, and Textron Systems’ de...

The Thermite RS3, manufactured by Howe & Howe Technologies, is a wide-chassis, industrial firefighting robot that is remotely operated using a belly-pack controller to provide high-definition video feedback for easy maneuverability, even in difficult conditions. The Los Angeles City Fire Department was the first to buy the bright yellow firefighting vehicle, as announced last fall. Thermite RS3 robot Decon7 Systems has teamed with Howe & Howe Technologies to pioneer the delivery of D7...

Howe & Howe Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, announced the first domestic sale and delivery of its robotic firefighter, the Thermite RS3, to the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) through authorized sales distributor Municipal Emergency Services (MES) Fire. This acquisition by the LAFD marks the first commercial sale of a robotic firefighting vehicle in the country. Firefighters Life-Saving Capability “This is our first step in bringing...

With curious minds and a knack for creating, twin brothers Geoffrey and Michael Howe have always pushed each other to think outside the box. The first RIPSAW® vehicle was a revolutionary concept that emerged from wanting to build the fastest-tracked vehicle in the world. Looking for an impactful way to support our country after the devastation of the 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil, the Howe brothers leveraged their RIPSAW platform to build an advanced unmanned ground vehicle equipped to safeguar...

At Textron Systems, their engineers push themselves daily to rapidly evolve current technologies and meet their customers’ future needs. As part of their team, they are innovators, thinkers, and doers, creating the solutions their customers count on to accomplish their missions. Throughout Engineering Week, Textron highlights engineers from across their family of brands, including Textron Systems, Howe & Howe, TRU Simulation + Training, and Lycoming. Join them as they celebrate the gr...

Colossus, a fire-fighting robot, was deployed in the nave of the Notre Dame cathedral during the destructive fire on April 15 in Paris. Pumping water high into the air and onto the flames, the robot was instrumental in turning the tide for firefighters, extinguishing the fire and lowering temperatures inside the nave. Colossus was developed by the French Company Shark Robotics and deployed with the Paris Fire Brigade. The caterpillar-tracked robot stands just two and a half feet tall, weighs 1,...

Textron Systems, a business of Textron Inc., its Howe & Howe subsidiary, and FLIR Systems, Inc. debuted the Ripsaw® M5 during the 2019 AUSA Annual Meeting. As the Team Ripsaw offering for the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program, Ripsaw M5 delivers aggressive mobility and modularity for multiple missions. This combination, along with teammates having decades of proven robotics and unmanned systems experience, results in a low-risk, ready-now solution. Unmanned systems...

Howe & Howe Technologies’ Grizzly™ Equipment Transport will be on display at the 2019 Global Force Symposium & Exposition in the Textron Systems booth (#511). This is the first time that Howe & Howe Technologies will display a product in a Textron Systems booth since being acquired by the company in December 2018. Tracked unmanned vehicle The Grizzly Equipment Transport will be on display in Textron Systems’ Global Force booth The Grizzly, a mid-sized tracked un...

At this year’s AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition, Textron Systems will demonstrate its broad product offering. From unmanned aircraft systems to small arms, visitors will have the chance to learn more about their capabilities at the Textron Systems booth (#511). Textron Systems has a long, proven history as a designer and manufacturer of armament and ammunition technologies, having been involved in many Army small arms development programs over the past 50 years. Diesel-Electr...

As Howe & Howe Technologies joins Textron Systems, get to know the brothers who started it all. The entire Howe & Howe team is excited to join its mission-centric mindset with Textron Systems, working Together Stronger. History of Howe & Howe Geoff and Mike Howe describe their younger selves as the kids in the back of the science lab who were experimenting and getting into mischief. From taking apart toaster ovens and bicycles to creating robotic arms, the twin brothers fro...

Textron Systems finalized the acquisition of Howe & Howe Technologies, Inc. of Waterboro, Maine. With this acquisition, Textron Systems’ newly combined portfolio positions the company as a pioneer in autonomy across the air, sea, and land domains. Textron Systems President & CEO Lisa Atherton says, “Today marks an exciting day for Textron Systems, as we are incredibly proud to welcome Howe & Howe into the Textron Systems family.” “This acquisition positions...

The Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc. announces that Textron Inc. has entered into a letter of intent to purchase Howe & Howe Technologies, Inc. of Waterboro, Maine. The combined portfolio of Textron Systems and Howe & Howe Technologies will position Textron Systems as a pioneer in autonomy across the air, land, and sea domains. Robotic firefighting solution Howe & Howe is a leader in advanced robotic land vehicles, built and proven for the most extreme conditions in the wor...