Teledyne Technologies Inc. has nabbed an $11.2 million contract with the U.S. Army, the Thousand Oaks-based firm announced.

The contract, awarded by the Army’s Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, will require Teledyne to produce around 45 CBRN sensor drone kits for the military.

The drone kits, also called unmanned aerial system kits, are often outfitted with sensors that can detect chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear presence, allowing military personnel to map out where hazardous material may be and what kind of gear they should wear. The sensors often use artificial intelligence and autonomous technology to fly over the targeted zone and relay information in real time.

‘Safeguarding soldiers’

Teledyne FLIR Defense, a subsidiary of Teledyne, integrates its R80 SkyRaider unmanned aerial systems with a full stack of CBRN detectors and technology that allows it to semi-autonomously search for danger zones.

This search feature was developed under the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Sensor Integration on Robotic Platforms program. The goal of that program is to quickly develop and test prototype sensors that are supercharged with AI, machine learning and real-time communication tools.

“Safe-guarding soldiers from weapons of mass destruction is at the core of our mission,” JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne Defense and Aerospace Group, said in a statement. “These SkyRaider-based sensor kits dramatically improve how units can detect and map CBRN hazards without exposing warfighters to dangerous environments.”