The US Army has awarded a five-year, $168.3m contract to Teledyne FLIR Defense to modernise the Sensor Suite of its M1135 Stryker Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV).
The contract aims to facilitate low-rate initial production for the upgrade, with the company also receiving its first delivery order valued at $7.5m.
Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies, previously delivered initial Sensor Suite upgrade prototypes for US government testing in 2019.
As the lead integrator, Teledyne FLIR is tasked with updating the army’s NBCRV system, which incorporates improved and autonomous chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear sensors.
The NBCRV Stryker Sensor Suite integrates data from multiple detectors and transmits digital warning messages via the vehicle’s command and control equipment to alert follow-on forces.
The NBCRV Sensor Suite will incorporate capabilities from the FLIR Defense R80D SkyRaider drone along with FLIR’s MUVE B330 biological detection payload designed for small uncrewed aerial systems, alongside other third-party solutions.
A FLIR-developed command and control system also combines all devices and platforms, employing sensor fusion and automation features to ease the cognitive load on users and improve decision-making.
Teledyne FLIR Defense president JihFen Lei said: “The advanced sensor capabilities on NBCRV will help protect our troops from weapons of mass destruction and enhance mission success on future battlefields.
“We’re honoured to continue our work with the army, leveraging our UAS [unmanned aerial system] platforms and remote sensing solutions to deliver the NBCRV Sensor Suite.”
Work on the NBCRV programme is anticipated to continue through 2029 at the company’s US facilities in Elkridge, Maryland; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Tucson, Arizona.
Last month, Teledyne FLIR Defense secured a contract valued at up to $91m to provide the US Army with its Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems.
The initial order of $25m will support the delivery of the first batch of Black Hornet 4 drones, controllers, spare parts, and training.
