FLIR Systems has been awarded additional funding to continue work on the U.S. Army’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle Sensor Suite Upgrade (NBCRV SSU) program. The contract modification was awarded through the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND).
FLIR is the lead integrator for this project, which aims to modernize the Army’s current NBCRV system with improved CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) sensors and autonomous capabilities. The company has previously developed initial prototypes of the NBCRV SSU system and provided them for testing at Fort Bliss, Texas, where soldiers deployed them in realistic battlefield scenarios to sense and rapidly avoid CBRN hazards.
The next phase of development will pair FLIR’s IBAC bio-detection sensor with the company’s R80D SkyRaider drone, and will also see the entire NBCRV sensor suite integrated into a ground robotic vehicle to expand the system’s use with manned-unmanned teams. A FLIR-developed command and control system will bring together all devices and platforms with sensor fusion and automation features that lessen the cognitive burden on users and improve decision-making.
FLIR has also recently been awarded two contracts to support JPEO-CBRND by providing its Agentase C2 chemical warfare disclosure spray, which detects nerve agents like VX and sarin as well as blister agents such as sulfur mustard.
Work on the NBCRV program has begun and is expected to continue through 2022 at FLIR facilities in West Lafayette, Indiana; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Elkridge, Maryland.
Roger Wells, Vice President and General Manager of Unmanned Systems & Integrated Solutions at FLIR, commented: ““Our ability to build and integrate manned and unmanned sensing solutions across a wide threat space is where FLIR differentiates itself. Incorporating UAV and UGV platforms into NBCRV aligns with our efforts to develop full sensing capabilities that can act as force multipliers and boost mission success for our troops.”
“Whether through air- or ground-based detection systems, FLIR is uniquely positioned in the defense industry with deep expertise in both intelligent sensor and autonomous systems technology that keeps warfighters safe.”
