RDT – RECON SCOUT ROBOT DELIVERY TOOL

Description

J&N Tactical Deploys Recon Scout

Written by Mescan, Steve

J&N Tactical is well known to SWAT teams and law enforcement agencies across the country.  For years, forced entry tools such as The Vandal and Bang Stick have had a place for years in the arsenal of extreme tools found in SWAT vehicles and in the hands of skilled SWAT operators. Products created by Jeff Herr with J&N Tactical are made with superior engineering, precision skill, and acute attention to detail.

The newest product in the lineup, the RDT-1 delivery tool, continues the excellence. Since the owner of J&N Tactical is also a SWAT operator, the focus of product development is on making reliable and rugged tools that consistently perform in high-stress environments. Normally, J & N Tactical develops stand-alone tools. The RDT -1 is unique in that it is the first J & N Tactical tool created exclusively to complement an already existing tool rather than a stand-alone use tool. That other tool is the Recon Scout Robot.

The Recon Scout is a small, throwable, remote-control robot with a camera. The Recon Scout can be used in residential and commercial building searches involving barricaded suspects, armed suicidal persons, or other high-risk situations. The size of a flash-bang, this ingenious robot is a huge tactical advantage for SWAT teams, but has its limitations.

Since the Recon Scout does not have the ability to ascend stairs, in order to enhance the deployment capabilities for the Recon Scout robot, it may need to be deployed to the second floor of a two-story residence or other building from the outside.

Considering that the recon scout robot is generally used for high-risk situations, there have not been safe options for accomplishing the deployment of the recon scout into the second-floor window. Operators have resorted to throwing the unit by hand into second-story windows. This method is ineffective and presents an unnecessary risk to operators.

For example, if you throw your robot into the window, and it lands in a laundry basket, the tool is all but useless. Or, you throw it at the window—and miss. The goal was to find a way to quickly and safely deploy the robot into the second floor in a manner that allows for sighted delivery, hence, the RDT-1 robot delivery tool.

Several obstacles existed in creating the RDT -1 that needed to be overcome to allow for the creation of a tool that was lightweight yet durable. Many mediums were explored to be used for the material in the pole. Metal was at first a consideration, but creating a pole out of metal made the overall weight and balance very heavy at maximum extension.

Fiberglass was also looked at, but it was found to be too prone to cracking. The final choice after many hours of testing was a carbon fiber pole with an aluminum head. This allowed for a tool with minimum weight, yet retaining maximum strength. The use of carbon in the pole significantly reduced overall weight of the tool.

The first prototype end (the claw) of the tool was originally a curved shape but the design was changed to a form that was inspired by the styling similar to a tomahawk. This shape allowed for better protection of the robot during delivery and also the back edge can be used for robot retrieval and/or moving objects such as blankets from beds, or manipulation of other objects from a distance to enhance the robot’s deployment.

The final concept created a very functional multi-use tool that gives operators the ability to use maximum distance to deploy a robot to enhance operator safety, as well as move objects at a distance to enhance deployment operations. It can also be used as a pole camera with the robot attached making it a highly versatile tool.

Since the main function of the RDT -1 tool is to allow for second-story controlled deployment of the Recon Scout robot into windows up to 18 feet, this significantly increases SWAT team capabilities. After searching the second story, the recon robot is capable of descending stairways for lower-level searching.

SWAT operators are now able to navigate nearly the entire residence with the robot, prior to any operators making entry. This gives a unique advantage of room reconnaissance, suspect location, environmental conditions, and other potential risks or hazards providing for maximum situational awareness to increase better decision-making during condensed time frames.

With a sleek carbon fiber pole and a machined aluminum head, the RDT-1 looks as good as it functions. The most innovative part of the RDT-1 is the two metal arms grip the robot into the tool. At full extension, one tug on the rope at the end of the pole allows the robot to deploy on command. The action that allows this movement is fluid and can be done with little practice from the operator working the end of the pole.

Having an extremely light weight of just under 6 pounds and a collapsed length of 90 inches, the RDT-1 is easy to transport and fast to deploy. Made of high-grade aluminum and carbon fiber materials, the RDT -1 is tough enough to be there when you need it. The RDT -1 comes with a durable cordura case made by First Spear, and can be used and deployed by one operator. It also comes with a sling for extra maneuverability at full extension.

Be sure your SWAT Team is mission ready to maximize your situational awareness for any situation with a Recon Scout Robot and the RDT-1 robot delivery tool from J& N Tactical, a tool as capable and technical as the operators behind it.

Steve Mescan is a 21-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police Department. He is assigned as a full-time SWAT officer and is a team leader for the Pittsburgh SWAT team.

Published in Tactical Response, Jan/Feb 2015