Teledyne FLIR Defense Secures $11.2 Million US Army Contract for Advanced CBRN Sensor Drone Kits

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is excited to announce that its subsidiary, Teledyne FLIR Defense, has been awarded an impressive $11.2 million contract from the U.S. Army’s Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND). This contract entails the delivery of over 45 cutting-edge CBRN unmanned aerial system (UAS) kits.

The development of these innovative kits is part of the Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Sensor Integration on Robotic Platforms (CSIRP) program. This program emphasizes rapid prototyping and implementation of modular sensor solutions designed to enhance drone capabilities and unmanned ground vehicles through advanced sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, autonomy, and effective communication technologies.

Central to this contract is the integration of the Teledyne FLIR R80D SkyRaider® UAS, equipped with a suite of modular CBRN detection payloads as well as resilient communication technologies. These specially configured kits provide semi-autonomous CBRN search and survey functionalities, allowing dismounted frontline units to quickly assess contaminated environments while ensuring soldier safety. With the advanced detection payloads mounted on the drone, operators receive real-time hazard data via sophisticated mapping, targeting, and communication tools. Once airborne, the SkyRaider has the capability to autonomously locate and characterize CBRN threats.

“Protecting our soldiers from weapons of mass destruction is central to our mission,” stated Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne Defense and Aerospace Group and Senior Vice President of Teledyne Technologies. “These SkyRaider-based sensor kits significantly enhance the ability of military units to detect and map CBRN hazards without placing warfighters in dangerous situations.”

Dr. Lei further noted, “This contract also strengthens our ongoing role as the lead integrator for the Army’s NBCRV Sensor Suite Upgrade program, through which we are providing next-generation sensing and autonomy solutions that give both U.S. and allied forces a competitive advantage.”

Each CBRN sensor kit features the R80D SkyRaider drone, outfitted with an array of chemical, biological, and radiological detection payloads—including the Teledyne FLIR MUVE™ B330 biological sensor—and is capable of autonomous operation.

The sensor kits are being manufactured at Teledyne FLIR Defense facilities located in Elkridge, MD, and West Lafayette, IN, with additional engineering tasks conducted in Stillwater, OK. Deliveries of these advanced systems are anticipated to commence in the second quarter of 2026.