The new recoverable and reusable loitering munition drone platform will enable rifle squads and platoons to directly engage enemy targets beyond line of sight. (Photo: Business Wire)
By E. Lee Phillips, Technology Contributor
Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, announced that it has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $249 million by the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command for its Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program.
In a news release, Teledyne FLIR said the initial delivery order is valued at $12 million.
Teledyne FLIR said its small Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) loitering munition solution has proven highly successful in tests against both moving and stationary armor, vehicles, and dismounted targets.
The ability to recover and reuse the new system will lighten the pack load for Marines while increasing their warfighting effectiveness, the company noted.
“The flexibility, adaptability and breadth of our proposed OPF-L platform will boost small unit lethality across the large target set Marines must confront in today’s battlespace,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We look forward to delivering on this highly advanced technology and working closely with the Marine Corps to augment its force projection – and protection – capabilities.”
Teledyne FLIR reported it will deliver the first 127 loitering munition systems to the Marines for test and evaluation later this summer.
The contract has a five-year performance period with a three-year option, according to the company.
Teledyne FLIR Defense provides mission-critical technology focusing on military, security and public safety challenges. The company designs and builds surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. It develops unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives.
Teledyne Technologies is a provider of digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne’s operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe.
More information:
http://www.teledyne.com
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