UAS maker Altavian acquired by FLIR Systems
NewsDecember 09, 2020
ARLINGTON, Va. FLIR Systems has acquired Altavian (Gainsville, Florida), a privately-held manufacturer of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for defense and public-safety customers.
According to a news release announcing the acquisition, FLIR Systems says that Altavian’s airframes integrate multiple sensors, some of which include FLIR thermal technology, to enable decision support and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. In the release, FLIR states that Altavian -- which designs its solutions around an open system architecture aligned to the needs of government and defense customers -- is one of only 5 UAS manufacturers approved by the U.S. Department of Defense under the Blue sUAS program to sell to the U.S. military and federal agencies.
“Altavian’s proven engineering expertise and assets will allow us to offer customers the most comprehensive solution portfolio of any American sUAS provider,” said Roger Wells, general manager of the Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions business of FLIR Systems’ Defense Technologies Segment, under which Altavian will be integrated. “With the addition of both a low-cost, rapidly deployable quadcopter and a longer range fixed-wing UAS, FLIR is strengthening its already impressive drone lineup, including our Black Hornet and SkyRaider platforms used extensively by militaries around the globe. We’re excited about the multiple new franchise opportunities FLIR will be able to pursue for defense, public safety, and industrial markets worldwide.”
