SkyCarrier is designed to deploy and recover Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRaider and SkyRanger drones from land vehicles, maritime vessels, or fixed sites. Its rugged container opens into an articulating pad, enabling autonomous launch and landing even on the move or in rough terrain.
The system maximises landing area, centres aircraft and reduces storage needs, using visual markers such as near-infrared beacons and QR codes or AprilTags for precise navigation. It supports tethered or free-flight modes, rapid charging, thermal management, and operation in GPS-denied environments.
“SkyCarrier represents a major leap forward in autonomous drone operations,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “Its ability to launch, recover, and manage drones from moving platforms – without GPS or constant operator control – makes it a game-changer for missions ranging from battlefield surveillance and disaster response to critical infrastructure protection.”
“SkyCarrier offers both military and non-military users a versatile UAS solution that reduces operator workload while boosting efficiency,” Lei added.
Trials have been conducted on fast attack boats, rigid hull inflatable boats, and ground vehicles travelling over rugged terrain at speeds up to 50km/h. The demonstrations confirmed the system’s reliability in real-world conditions.
SkyCarrier supports a range of payloads developed by FLIR Defense and partners, including long-range imaging, targeting, electronic warfare, signals intelligence, CBRN detection and communications relay. Its adaptability makes it suited to missions from ISR and border security to hazmat operations.
