Rugged, Agile, Ready to Deploy
Rugged, agile, and ready to deploy rapidly, the FLIR ION M440 tactical quadcopter is purpose-built for short-range reconnaissance. Made for austere environments, the ION is a small, 3.99lb (1.8kg), rucksack portable and hand-launched UAS. It is immediately soldier-deployable and ready to perform advanced autonomous operations while in obstacle-dense terrain.
The ION M440 is a NDAA-compliant drone designed and manufactured in the United States. The ION is pre-approved for government and military acquisition by the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS Program.
The ION is safer to fly with its nimble flight capabilities and GPS-denied navigation. In GPS-denied or degraded environments, the ION can still maintain operation. The ION also utilizes accurate cursor-on-target, providing accurate coordinates for relay to the GCS.
These advanced battlefield capabilities combine improved situational awareness with intuitive operation to keep the warfighter safe and out of the line of fire in dangerous environments.
Embedded sensors and advanced algorithms enable continuous collision avoidance. Built-in daytime and nighttime obstacle avoidance reduce cognitive load for operators in tight, obstructive environments.
The ION can fly for 35 minutes, reaching a top speed of 23 mph (10.3 m/s) and features a 12.0 MP EO sensor with 3.37mm 82° or 28° FOV options. The M440 payload IR sensor features a 320x256px FLIR BOSON 320 with 6.3mm 34°FOV lens.
Open system architecture allows advanced autonomous functionality with a high-powered discrete mission computer. The ION M440 is MAVLINK compliant and interoperable with C-GCS.
Applications of the ION can be used for immediate ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), situational awareness, force protection, beyond line-of-sight reconnaissance and target tracking.