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The article offers information on the Talon Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Direction System (SWORDS ), which is the latest combat system used by the U.S. Army. The Talon SWORDS, designed by Foster Miller Inc., is a tractor-mounted, remotely controlled platform that can be equipped with M16, M240, M249, or Barrett 50-caliber machine guns. In defensive mode, the Talon uses a camera and other sensors to detect dangers in its environment while in offensive mode, it can use machine guns, grenade launchers, and rocket systems to eliminate those dangers. According to Robert Quinn, VP of Talon operations for Foster Miller, dual-track robots like Talon can roll over any terrain whether it is sand, mud, snow or ice.