At the recent DSEI defense expo in London, the defense company Teledyne FLIR Defense launched the SkyCarrier system, designed for the launch, control and recovery of Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRaider and SkyRanger uncrewed aerial systems (UASs). Zona Militar recently had an exclusive conversation with Rich Cunha, UAS Product Director at Teledyne FLIR Defense, about the capabilities of this new portable system and why Latin American militaries should be interested in this new technology.
The SkyCarrier is a ruggedized container that “fully protects” the drone when closed and opens to unfold a launch and landing pad. The pad maximizes the UAS’s landing area, centers the aircraft, and reduces storage space. The company noted that the autonomous launch and recovery feature of SkyCarrier enables the drone to land on moving or stationary platforms without manual control, and protects the drone from brush, debris, and other environmental factors when not operating. There is even a “follow me” option, allowing the UAS to track and return to designated vehicles, personnel, or locations.
ZM asked Cunha why Latin American militaries should be interested in SkyCarrier and whether it can operate in the challenging environments of South America, for example, where regional militaries operate across the Amazon jungle and Andes mountains to combat narco-insurgents, smugglers, other criminal networks, and individuals carrying out environmental crimes like illegal fishing and illegal mining.
The company executive explained that SkyCarrier is designed to enable completely hands-free operation “of one of the most flexible and rugged small unmanned systems available.” Cunha noted that SkyCarrier could be deployed, “either on the ground or mounted on vehicles, to monitor remote areas, such as jungles, forests, or mountain ranges, while operators could be centrally located thousands of kilometers away.” (The Teledyne FLIR SkyRanger R70 drone can operate at altitudes up to 5000 meters, or 15,000 feet, which makes it suitable for the Andean mountain range.)
The company executive also noted that SkyCarrier can be installed aboard riverine vessels for littoral operations “to take advantage of a larger, more capable UAS without needing highly trained experts for launch and recovery.”
A Teledyne FLIR Defense spokesperson highlighted that the Ecuadorian armed forces already operate the company’s drones. “We’ve been providing unmanned air and ground systems to the government of Ecuador for several years and continue to partner with them on addressing regional issues, such as narcotics trafficking, environmental protection, border security, and more,” the spokesperson told ZM.
Cunha explained that production of SkyCarrier is expected to commence by the second quarter of 2026, with deliveries to customers commencing thereafter. (It is unclear if Ecuador is currently interested in the SkyCarrier, but this could occur in the future.) Teledyne FLIR Defense is targeting “a number of different customers and end user applications,” including CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosives), ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), EW (Electronic Warfare), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) and “targeting applications for crewed/uncrewed ground vehicles or maritime surface vessels,” Cunha explained to ZM. The system can also support aerial drone operations, convoy missions, or hazmat operations, protect strategic locations, and even serve as a communications relay.
According to the company, SkyCarrier has been successfully tested on multiple maritime vessels, including fast attack boats and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), and ground vehicles traveling over rugged terrain, even across rugged terrain with inclines exceeding 20 degrees, at speeds up to 50km/h (30mph), “demonstrating its reliability in real-world conditions.” Cunha added that testing has been carried out “extensively on ground vehicles in North America and Europe and has been used for maritime testing in the North Sea, off the coast of Alaska, and the Gulf of Mexico on a variety of small vessels.”
The container supports both tethered and untethered missions and can operate in GPS-denied environments. SkyCarrier has a weight range of 120 kgs to 170 kgs. Cunha explained that Teledyne FLIR Defense is developing two versions of SkyCarrier, the first will be a lighter system, solely for free-flight operations. A second variant will include “the 108 meter tether spool, auto-reel mechanisms, and power electronics to enable tethered operation with a max range of 100 meters and up to 48 hours” of continuous operations.
The SkyCarrier includes Teledyne FLIR’s Mission Control System Software, which “enables full control of the SkyRanger R70 UAS, including manual flight and complex mission planning,” explained Cunha, allowing the operator to use SkyCarrier to control the drone directly. SkyCarrier and the SkyRanger have a robust connection; “when networked together, a single operator or application can control up to 16 aircraft (expected to expand more in the future),” he added. In other words, a single soldier can use one SkyCarrier to control a mini-swarm of drones.
The next major defense expo will take place in Washington, DC, organized by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), and will be held from October 13 to 15. Zona Militar will be in attendance.
Teledyne FLIR Defense informed ZM that they will display the Rogue 1 loitering munition in a six-pack launcher setup, as well as ground robots equipped with various weapons systems, in collaboration with Aim-Lock. At the DSEI expo in London, the company displayed Teledyne FLIR’s Kobra 725, integrated with AimLock’s RM-1 semi-autonomous remote weapon station and Teledyne FLIR’s SUGV 325, integrated with AimLock’s RS-2 Solution with Dual 40mm Grenade Launchers.
You may also like RTX does not rule out equipping Latin American Navies and Armies with its Phalanx CIWS systems
