Teledyne FLIR Defense Unveils New FirstLook 125 Throwable Recon Robot

Advancements include common controller with Black Hornet® 4 nano-drone, enabling combined unmanned ground-air operations

Rugged UGV serves as operators’ first line of remote engagement, built for the toughest real-world environments

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced today at SOF Week the official launch of its new FirstLook® 125 throwable personal reconnaissance robot.

The FirstLook 125 unmanned ground system delivers real-time visual, thermal, and audio situational awareness across complex terrain, lowering force risk and enabling faster decision-making.

Purpose-built for coordinated ground-air missions, FirstLook 125 shares a common controller and operational architecture with Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Black Hornet® 4 nano-drone. This enables a single user to deploy and manage both systems without changing tools or workflows. The commonality extends FirstLook beyond ground-only reconnaissance, allowing users to combine interior and exterior ISR, quickly transition between platforms, and maintain continuous situational awareness across domains. The result is an integrated ‘first-in’ capability that delivers greater flexibility and mission utility at the squad and fire-team level.

“As the need for interoperability with unmanned operations grows, FirstLook 125 can support missions demanding both ground and airborne intelligence, thanks to its common controller,” said Tung Ng, Vice President of Unmanned Systems North America at Teledyne FLIR Defense. “And ruggedness isn’t even a question. Through repeated throws, hard drops – plus its agility in confined spaces – FirstLook 125 is engineered for reliability when conditions are toughest.

“Along with our FirstLook 110 robot, the FirstLook family continues to give operators eyes, ears – and confidence – before putting personnel in harm’s way,” Ng added.

FirstLook 125’s advanced tracked mobility is optimized for stairwells, rubble, and uneven ground, producing stable, reliable movement in the most challenging environments. Its lightweight 5.7lb (2.6kg) design can sustain 16ft (5m) drops and self-rights instantly, remaining mission-ready after any throw or tumble. Using rugged, articulated flippers, FirstLook 125 pushes through debris, climbs obstacles, and maneuvers inside confined spaces while bringing an enhanced EO/IR camera suite, integrated illumination, and two-way audio to low-light, GPS-denied, and cluttered operational conditions.

Other FirstLook 125 features include:

• Lightweight, Man-Portable Design: Purpose-built for single operator carry, enabling rapid deployment and sustained dismounted operations without degrading memory or endurance.
• Throwable and Droppable with Rapid Mission Readiness: Engineered for hand deployment through windows, doorways, and confined spaces, allowing immediate emplacement without compromising sensing, mobility, or system survivability.
• Integrated Day/Night ISR with Secure, Real Time Link: Visible and infrared imaging provide continuous situational awareness that is paired with encrypted, low-latency video and control links for immediate operator decision-making.

Visit Teledyne FLIR Defense at SOF Week, Booth 1320, to see the new FirstLook 125. Or visit us online to learn more about Teledyne FLIR’s full range of unmanned ground solutions, from the 20-pound SUGV™ 325 to the 500-pound Kobra™.

About Teledyne FLIR Defense

Teledyne FLIR Defense has been providing advanced, mission-critical technology and systems for more than 45 years. Our products are on the frontlines of the world’s most pressing military, security and public safety challenges. As a global leader in thermal imaging, we design and build sophisticated surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. We develop the most rugged, trusted unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives. At Teledyne FLIR Defense we bring together this expertise to deliver solutions that enable critical decisions and keep our world safe – from any threat, anywhere. To learn more, visit us online or follow @flir_defense.

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne's operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne's website at www.teledyne.com.