Teledyne FLIR Defense plans to provide more than 100 Rogue 1 attack drones to the U.S. Marine Corps this year. The company was selected for the Organic Precision Fires-Light initiative alongside two other companies, AeroVironment and Anduril Industries. Rogue 1 is a 10-pound drone that features vertical takeoff and landing and interchangeable warheads for various targets. Brian Bills, the company’s director of UAS products, highlighted the precision and design of Rogue 1 in hitting targets accurately.
The Marine Corps has sought armed drones for infantry squads since at least 2018. Rogue 1 was first supplied to U.S. Special Operations Command in 2022 and provided to the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory for testing. The popularity of armed drones has increased, as showcased in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and across the Greater Middle East. Teledyne’s vice president of U.S. business development, David Viens, emphasized the need for experimentation with the novel capabilities of Rogue 1 in Marine Corps operations.
