Canada Orders Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRanger Attack & Surveillance Drone for Donation to Ukraine

Canada’s Department of National Defence has ordered over 800 SkyRanger R70 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) from Teledyne FLIR Defense valued at more than CAD$95 million (US$70 million), that Canada will donate to the government of Ukraine.

Built by Teledyne FLIR in Waterloo, Ontario, SkyRanger R70 drones feature autonomous navigation capability, plus advanced thermal and daytime sensors enabling them to detect and identify targets at long range.

The advanced multi-mission drone can handle a variety of payloads up to 3.5 kilograms, including munitions.

This latest order from Canada adds to the unmanned systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities Teledyne FLIR Defense is already providing to Ukraine’s military through governments worldwide, a company release said Tuesday

Furthermore, via a contract with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Teledyne FLIR is providing advanced thermal/visual imaging systems with highly sensitive radar sensors onto a mobile platform to rapidly identify drone threats as part of a total C-UAS solution for Ukraine.

“I would like to thank the Canadian government and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, for turning to SkyRanger drones in their support for Ukraine,” said Edwin Roks, Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne Technologies.

“Teledyne FLIR Defense is proving that tactical platforms such as SkyRanger and Black Hornet can deliver immediate covert situational awareness on today’s battlefields, where and when warfighters need it most.”

Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet nano-drones are currently being used by Ukrainian forces through previous donations made by the Norwegian and British governments. They have performed successfully in numerous operations under the harshest of environments.