In-Q-Tel joins as strategic investor to support Harbinger’s expansion into government and national security markets
Harbinger Praesidia, the company’s new defense vertical, provides configurable unmanned military ground vehicles for military logistics, battlefield communications, troop transport, perimeter security, and counter-drone operations
The platform pairs high-capacity batteries, onboard power generation, and bi-directional charging to power missions in the field
GARDEN GROVE, Calif., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Harbinger, an American automotive and industrial manufacturer, today announced an unmanned hybrid-electric vehicle platform for defense customers and military applications. Under its new defense business vertical, Harbinger Praesidia, the company is working with government customers and defense prime contractors to configure the unmanned platform for mission-specific applications. This includes flat-deck logistics, field communications, troop transport, perimeter security, and counter-UAS operations. Harbinger also announced that In-Q-Tel (IQT), the not-for-profit strategic investor for the U.S. national security community and America’s allies, has joined as a strategic investor in Harbinger.
Harbinger Praesidia platforms are built on the same clean-sheet designed, medium-duty plug-in hybrid chassis that is leveraged for commercial vehicles. These defense vehicles are autonomous ready, and are designed to be fully teleoperable through Harbinger’s proprietary in-house API. This helps ensure seamless integration with modern tech ecosystems. Harbinger’s proprietary chassis is engineered and assembled in-house in America and features industry-leading battery systems, software, drivetrains and drive-by-wire technology. The platform is designed for missions where payload, power, range, teleoperation, durability and flexible upfit capability are critical.
IQT Strategic Investment
IQT’s strategic investment in Harbinger supports the company’s expansion into government and defense markets. IQT identifies, evaluates and leverages emerging commercial technologies to support the U.S. national security community and America’s allies.
“Harbinger’s vertically integrated vehicle platform brings together power generation, energy storage, mobility, and flexible configuration in a way that is highly extensible to emerging government and national security needs,” said Sara Jones, Principal, IQT. “Harbinger’s combination of proven commercial vehicle technology and U.S.-based manufacturing aligns with the U.S. government’s effort to leverage cost-effective commercial innovation for military use and makes it a strong fit for IQT’s investment focus.”
Harbinger Co-Founder and CEO John Harris brings direct experience at the intersection of defense technology, hardware engineering and manufacturing, having previously led hardware engineering and manufacturing of Anduril’s first product, Sentry Tower.
“The government needs robust vehicles that can support a wide range of use cases without forcing operators to compromise on payload, range, exportable power or durability,” said Harris. “Our American designed, engineered and assembled vehicles fulfill this need while supporting domestic manufacturing capacity, which is itself a national security asset. At the same time, these unmanned vehicles are engineered to help keep soldiers out of harm’s way without compromising on performance.”
A Flexible Platform for Defense and Government Applications
Harbinger Praesidia vehicles are designed to be autonomous-ready and leverage a flexible vehicle foundation that incorporates steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and accel-by-wire technology. They also feature redundancy across key systems to support remote operation and advanced control. A six-camera system provides a 360-degree bird’s-eye view for situational awareness. The defense vehicle platform is available in all of Harbinger’s standard chassis configurations:
- Harbinger offers three wheelbases (158-inch, 178-inch and 208-inch), allowing customers to optimize for compact maneuverability or outsized load carrying capacity
- Each wheelbase is available in gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) of 16,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds, supporting customer payloads of up to 18,000 pounds
Range, Power and Performance
Harbinger’s defense platform uses a series hybrid system designed for payload efficiency, long-range operation and exportable power. Among the highlights:
- The system pairs an electric motor for high-torque demands with a compact gasoline engine and generator that can recharge the batteries or supply external power.
- The platform provides over 500 miles of hybrid driving range and approximately 105 miles of fully-electric driving range in Harbinger’s standard configuration, and can be powered through gasoline, electric vehicle charging or a combination of both.
- The high-capacity battery system serves as both a propulsion source and an onboard energy reserve, enabling the vehicle to operate quietly in fully-electric mode; remain stationary in the field while powering mission equipment; and recharge through the onboard generator, external EV charging or bi-directional power systems.
- The vehicle is designed to export up to 350 kilowatts of power to external systems, with 48 kilowatts of continuous power from the gasoline engine and a 15-kilowatt onboard inverter for split-phase AC output. This capability enables the platform to power energy-intensive field equipment and mission systems without requiring separate generators.
Additional performance specifications include:
- A maximum speed of 65 mph
- A minimum turning radius of 21 feet
- Over 30% gradeability
- Over 20% side slope capability
The vehicle is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 55°C and at altitudes up to 12,000 feet. Charging capabilities include a 10% to 80% AC charge time of approximately four hours and a 10% to 80% DC fast charging time of approximately one hour.
Teleoperation, Communications and Mission Features
Harbinger Praesidia includes features designed for government and defense use cases, including:
- Stealth Mode, which disables exterior lights, acoustic alerting devices, and the onboard generator, for silent operation with minimal thermal signature
- Remote control and teleoperation supporting unmanned operation in hazardous, contested, or hard-to-access environments
- Remote auxiliary actuation enabling functions such as pallet deployment, power export, or liftgate actuation
- Dual-network communications using radio and satellite-based connectivity
- Integrated range extender providing consistent power while driving or stationary
- AC power export using Harbinger’s power system to invert DC power from the high-voltage traction batteries
Harbinger has integrated advanced mesh radios to support teleoperation at up to 5 kilometers line-of-sight, and satellite communications to support beyond-line-of-sight operations at unlimited range.
Built for mission readiness in all conditions, Harbinger’s robust defense vehicles can operate off-road, on straight and curved roads, up and down slopes, wet roads, snow, standing water, loose surfaces, potholes, ruts and other challenging surface conditions. The company recently announced a partnership with American Rheinmetall to develop and deliver next-generation robotics and uncrewed ground vehicles to support the military’s modernization efforts.
About Harbinger
Harbinger is an American industrial manufacturer of advanced electrification technologies, including all-electric and hybrid medium-duty vehicle platforms, battery and drivetrain systems, and auxiliary power solutions. Harbinger has an industry-leading team of battery, electric vehicle (EV), and drivetrain experts. The company designs and builds proprietary, vertically integrated systems in-house for commercial and specialty applications, such as medium-duty commercial vehicles, work trucks, defense vehicles, recreational vehicles (RVs), mobile healthcare units, and power and energy storage. Harbinger’s EV chassis delivers electric and hybrid vehicles priced competitively with traditional diesel counterparts, removing a key barrier to adoption. The company has acquired Phantom AI to integrate advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) into its commercial vehicles and extend this technology to third-party passenger vehicle applications.
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