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Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024

Teledyne Launches Targeting Drone

Payload system works to facilitate laser-guided munitions.

A Teledyne Technologies Inc. subsidiary has introduced a payload for its small drone that can be used to provide target designation for laser-guided weapons. 

The StormCaster-DX from Teledyne Flir Defense is an advanced laser designator payload built especially for use on the Flir R80D SkyRaider drone aircraft, according to a release from Teledyne, the Thousand Oaks aerospace, marine and digital imaging products manufacturer. 

StormCaster-DX is designed to manage target areas using a Laser Spot Tracker while performing the terminal guidance for 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 attacks, the release added. 

Users can define target tracking, with the StormCaster-DX capturing coordinates, heading and speed of moving objects and vehicles. Two infrared thermal cameras support missions day or night. The sensors work with a drone that is tethered with a cable or free-flying untethered,

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.”

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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