US Marines Getting Powerful UAV 

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A new powerful military unmanned aerial vehicle will be supplied to the US Marine Corps. FLIR Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract to deliver dozens of its SkyRaider UAVs to the Corps.

Developed for U.S. defense and federal government customers, the FLIR R80D SkyRaider has long-range, high-resolution EO/IR imaging sensors that provide day and night situational awareness.

The platform can carry and deliver external loads up to 4.4 pounds for forward resupply, asset extraction, and other specialized missions. SkyRaider also features some of the most powerful embedded AI processing available on a small UAV system.

The UAV can function in highly mobile expeditionary and multi-mission combat operations, such as those that put Marines at the tip of the spear, according to the company. 

The UAV delivers a range of Group 2-3 payload capabilities with the agility and single-operator deployment footprint of a proven Group 1 VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Lift) aircraft. 

Its advanced edge-of-network processing enables object detection and classification, semi-autonomous flight, and the ability to thrive in GPS- or comms-denied environments. The aircraft supports payloads specific to U.S. government operations while incorporating enhanced cybersecurity measures, as reported by uasweekly.com.