Rugged smartphone maker Bullitt Group has licensed the Motorola brand for a new range of rugged phones. The UK-based company has signed an exclusive brand partnership with Motorola to develop and market Moto-branded drop-proof and shockproof phones globally.

For the unaware, Bullitt Group is the company behind the unique Cat, Kodak, and Land Rover smartphones we've seen in recent years. It entered the rugged smartphone sector back in 2009 and has since designed, manufactured, and distributed several of its Cat and Land Rover-branded smartphones in over 50 markets worldwide. Now, the company plans to bring a new range of drop-proof and shockproof Motorola phones to the market later this year.

In a statement regarding the partnership, Bullitt Group's co-founder, Dave Floyd, said, "This is a unique strategic alliance, as it allows Bullitt to apply its expertise to the Motorola portfolio of products. Motorola invented the mobile phone and remains one of the most iconic brands in the world. To be entrusted by Motorola to create a portfolio of Motorola branded rugged phones, bears testament to the exceptional business we have built at Bullitt over the last 11 years."

The new range of Moto-branded rugged smartphones will hit the market sometime later this year. Bullitt plans to release details about the upcoming devices later this quarter. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time we'll see a ruggedized Motorola smartphone. In fact, I started my Android journey with a rugged phone from the company — the Motorola Defy — all the way back in 2010. It was one of the first mainstream Android smartphones to feature IP67 dust and water-resistance, and it also packed an impact-resistant screen. Funnily enough, it was also the reason why I first landed on the XDA Forums. While Motorola hasn't released all that many rugged phones since then, it has launched a couple of drop-resistant devices with shatterproof screens, like the Moto Z Force and Moto Z2 Force.