Gecko Robotics Wins $1.5 Million U.S. Air Force Contract to Modernize Nuclear Triad

By Eugene Lee Phillips, Forefront Media Contributor

A digital twin scan of a launch facility, from Gecko Robotics. Photo credit: Gecko Robotics

PITTSBURGH– Gecko Robotics announced the company has been awarded an 18-month $1.5 Million contract by the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.

In a news release on Nov. 29, Gecko Robotics said the award comes through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and is part of the Air Force’s efforts to modernize the legs of the U.S. nuclear triad.

“Ensuring the safety and efficiency of our nation’s most critical assets is in our DNA at Gecko and we look forward to our partnership with the Air Force in this vital mission,” said Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-founder of Gecko Robotics. “I’m also proud of how our team and our product have risen to the challenge during this competitive process as we continue to increase our partnerships across the federal space.”

Under the new contract, Gecko Robotics said the company will integrate state-of-the-art concrete evaluation technology into the fleet of crawling robots.

According to Gecko, the hardware and software components together will provide the capability to rapidly assess concrete and steel liners in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch facilities. The ability to rapidly assess the current infrastructure of launch facilities is paramount to ensure a smooth transition to the Sentinel program and transition to a modernized sustainment program, the company said.

The award comes after a competitive process where companies were invited to submit proposals for initial peer review. After a review by key stakeholders, Gecko Robotics was invited to participate in the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center’s 2nd Pitch Day. At the conclusion of the process, Gecko Robotics was awarded a Phase 2 contract under the SBIR program.

Gecko Robotics is a company that helps institutions operate and maintain their physical assets. Gecko’s robots capture data at previously unheard-of scale and fidelity, climbing pipelines, boilers, tanks, ship hulls, and much more in search of damage, no matter how subtle. Gecko’s software, in turn, enables human experts to contextualize that data and translate it into action.