A Teledyne Technologies Inc. subsidiary introduced on Tuesday a payload for its small drone that can be used to provide laser target designation for laser-guided weapons.
The StormCaster-DX from Teledyne Flir Defense is an advanced, multi-role laser designator payload built especially for use on the Flir R80D SkyRaider drone aircraft, according to a release from Teledyne Technologies, the Thousand Oaks aerospace, marine and digital imaging products manufacturer.
StormCaster-DX is uniquely designed to manage target areas using a Laser Spot Tracker while affecting the terminal guidance of laser guided munitions. Until now, this capability was only possible with larger drones or ground-based systems, the company’s release said.
Potential applications for the technology range from manned or unmanned air strikes to precision-guided mortars, naval gunfire or air-launched effects, the release added.
JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne Flir Defense, called the StormCaster a gamechanger for small drone military operations.
“For the first time, warfighters will be able to survey and manage the battlefield while performing laser designation with standoff from a rucksack-portable drone, allowing faster decision-making and targeting that help ensure mission success,” Lei said in a statement. “We believe customers will embrace what StormCaster-DX can mean for troops in harm’s way: When seconds weigh heavily on an operation’s outcome, DX saves minutes.”
Shares of Teledyne (TDY) closed down $6.99, or nearly 1.8 percent, to $392.01 on the New York Stock Exchange, on a day when the Dow Jones closed down a fraction of a percent.