Q5D to Supply Wire Harness Automation Cells to U.S. Army
BRISTOL, England — Q5D Technologies has signed a 20-month agreement with Molrix to deliver three automated wire harness manufacturing cells to the U.S. Army.
Q5D, a British robotics company specializing in automated wire harness production, said the systems will support manufacturing and sustainment work that is difficult to address through traditional suppliers.
One system is scheduled for delivery in August 2026 to support the Army’s SkyFoundry drone manufacturing initiative. Two additional systems are scheduled for delivery in September 2026 to U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania.
At Tobyhanna, the systems will support the manufacture and repair of complex wire harnesses for electronic systems. Q5D said the equipment is intended to improve turnaround times for upgrades, overhaul and depot-level maintenance.
SkyFoundry is an Army initiative to accelerate production of small unmanned aerial systems. The program aims to reach capacity of 10,000 drones per month this year and eventually scale to about 1 million units annually.
The systems automate the manufacture and installation of complex wire harnesses onto 3D structures. Q5D said wire harness installation remains one of the slowest and most labor-intensive stages of drone manufacturing.
“Modern defense increasingly depends on the ability to manufacture, repair and adapt systems quickly,” said Stephen Bennington, CEO of Q5D Technology. “Our systems are designed to help reduce manufacturing bottlenecks, improve repair turnaround times and support more scalable sustainment capability across rapidly evolving production environments.”
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Molrix, Q5D’s U.S. partner and prime contractor on the agreement, will provide technical and operational support to the Army.
“Our partnership with Q5D brings advanced wire harness automation directly into U.S. Army production and depot environments,” said Van Sullivan, owner of Molrix. “Molrix will provide on-the-ground installation, integration and operational support to help deploy these systems quickly and effectively across Army manufacturing and sustainment operations.”
The agreement reflects growing military interest in faster manufacturing, repair and domestic production capacity as defense organizations work to sustain, upgrade and scale systems more quickly.
“Defense readiness is no longer just about stockpiling equipment; it also depends on having the manufacturing capability to sustain and modernize systems as operational demands evolve,” said Gen. Edward Daly, former commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command. “Advanced manufacturing and tactical-edge production are becoming central to military readiness and operational agility.”
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