Teledyne FLIR Defense launches UAS radiation detector payload

The Teledyne FLIR Defense MUVE R430 is pictured here. It is a radiation detector payload suited for UASs. (Teledyne FLIR Defense )

Teledyne FLIR Defense has unveiled MUVE R430, a payload that remotely detects and identifies radiation sources.

Launched at the 2022 CBRNe Convergence in Boston on 1 November, the radiation detector is suited for use on unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and can detect, locate, measure, map, and identify radioactive sources, a company announcement said.

Joe Ailinger, director of public relations at Teledyne FLIR Defense, told Janes that the payload can identify the strength and type of isotope and geo-pin radiation levels on a contamination map. Users can also examine dangerous sources and perform assessments in hard-to-reach places and environments while keeping at a safe distance, the company added.

The sensor payload is initially intended for use on the company's SkyRanger R70 and SkyRaider R80D UASs. The company is also working to enable the MUVE R430 to fit onto other UASs, if customers require, Ailinger said. For now, an application programming interface that enables users to customise and integrate the solution is available.

Several military customers in the US and abroad have already placed pre-orders for the R430, Ailinger said.

Deployable within minutes, the sensor is based on the company's identiFINDER R425, a handheld radionuclide identification device that is in wide use all over the world, the company said. The International Atomic Energy Agency has reportedly used the R425 for its inspection and monitoring efforts in Ukraine at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia.