Teledyne FLIR Defense, a division of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, unveiled its Rogue 1 loitering munition system at the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week in Tampa, Florida. This new unmanned aerial system (UAS) is designed to provide military forces with enhanced versatility, survivability, and lethality in modern combat environments.
The Rogue 1 is an optionally-lethal, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) capable of engaging both moving and stationary targets, including armored vehicles and dismounted threats. It features a unique mechanical interrupt fuzing system that allows for the drone to be safely recovered and reused if the mission is aborted or targets are disengaged.
Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense, highlighted the system’s adaptability: “The new Rogue 1 gives warfighters the versatility, survivability, and lethality demanded by the modern battlespace. With its unique ability to be recovered and reused when targeting conditions change, this innovative platform also offers military forces greater economy and flexibility.”
Equipped with advanced electro-optical and FLIR Boson® 640+ thermal cameras, Rogue 1 delivers superior day/night long-range reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The system’s gimballed payload allows for extremely precise targeting, facilitated by a novel coupling between sensors and warhead. Operators can customize the munition with various modular, mission-specific payloads to effectively engage different types of enemy targets.
The drone boasts a flight time of 30 minutes, can reach burst speeds exceeding 70 mph, and has an operational range of over six miles, making it suitable for missions in harsh battlefield conditions, including communication- and GPS-denied environments.
Teledyne FLIR Defense continues to expand its global UAS portfolio, which includes everything from the Black Hornet nano-drone to larger quadcopters like the SkyRaider and SkyRanger, as well as the StormCaster sensor and targeting payloads. The introduction of Rogue 1 is set to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of military personnel, reducing collateral damage while maximizing standoff distance.
In recent developments, Teledyne FLIR Defense was awarded a significant Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract by the U.S. Marine Corps for the Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program, under which the Rogue 1 will be supplied. An initial order of 127 systems is expected to be delivered to the Marines later this summer. Additionally, the U.S. Special Operations Command has begun evaluating the Rogue 1 under their Ground Organic Precision Strike Systems (GOPSS) program, with further deliveries currently underway.
