Teledyne FLIR Defense has embarked on a cross-Canada demonstration tour to showcase its next-generation airborne advanced imaging capability, the Star SAFIRE 380-HDc with the new 380X technology.
A crew of four — including three members of the Teledyne FLIR team and one representative from Gastops, the exclusive Canadian provider for FLIR airborne gimbal sales and service — is flying to more than 10 cities across seven provinces aboard Teledyne’s Bell 429 demo helicopter to showcase the company’s flagship camera system. Mounted on the nose of the 429 for the Canadian tour is the UltraFORCE 380X-HDc, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)-free version of the Star SAFIRE system.
According to Brian Spillane, business development lead at Teledyne FLIR Defense, the UltraFORCE is functionally identical to the ITAR-controlled Star SAFIRE variant, but fully exportable. “It’s 99 percent the same system. The ‘UltraFORCE’ designation simply indicates that it’s ITAR-free,” he explained.
The distinction opens doors for international customers — especially those who would face licensing challenges with U.S. export-controlled systems — without sacrificing performance.
The Star SAFIRE 380 line has become popular with police, search and rescue (SAR), border protection, and military operators around the world. With the new 380X electronics package, Teledyne FLIR says it is ushering in a new era of imaging performance, situational awareness, and mission flexibility.
Spillane noted the 380-HDc, with a 14.6-inch profile, was purpose-built for rotorcraft, keeping ground clearance and weight in mind. Breaking the name down, the “380” indicates the diameter of the turret in millimetres; the “HD” stands for high definition; and the “c” stands for compact.
“It’s by far our most popular camera for rotary aircraft because ground clearance is so important,” said Spillane.
“It’s no taller than the [Ultra] 8500 turret, which dominated the industry for decades, but it’s wider — allowing us to put more technology inside. You can now achieve the performance of a much larger, heavier, and more expensive camera system in a compact package.”
One of the 380 series’ hallmarks is its exceptional magnification and long-range identification. Weighing just 65 pounds (29.5 kilograms), the 380-HDc can deliver the image clarity and range typical of a 100-lb (45-kg) turret, Spillane said.
The 380X technology, available as an upgrade or standalone new system for Star SAFIRE 380-HD, 380-HDc 380-HLD, and UltraFORCE 380-HDc systems, represents a completely redesigned electronics package, providing the processing power for next-generation features like improved geo-pointing and moving target tracking. The result, Spillane said, is a major reduction in operator workload.
“In the early days, tactical flight officers had to stay glued to the stick and monitor 100 percent of the time — it was stressful, mentally and physically,” he said. “Now, with features like geo-referencing, tiled displays, and touchscreen menus, operators can keep their focus on the mission rather than the mechanics of running the camera.”
Future-proofing is another key feature of the 380X. Operators who purchase today are not locked into a static system; instead, they can upgrade indefinitely as new capabilities are released. “If you standardize on the X, you’re never left behind,” said Spillane. “Whether it’s touchscreens, license plate recognition, or sensors that don’t even exist yet — you’ll always be able to upgrade.”
The 380X-HDc system is designed to handle a wide range of missions, from law enforcement to environmental monitoring. The system combines a high-definition color camera and an infrared sensor, which cover 90 percent of typical missions. Additional payloads — like low-light TV, shortwave infrared (SWIR), and laser rangefinder and pointer — expand that versatility.
While the Star SAFIRE’s core markets include airborne patrol and SAR, the system has the potential to greatly enhance aerial firefighting operations, Spillane said.
“Infrared’s hidden superpower is its ability to see through smoke,” he explained. “With SWIR, you can see incredible detail right up against the fire line without heat bloom distorting the image. That’s a game-changer for firefighting and incident management.
“There’s also fire mapping,” Spillane added. “You can trace a map of a fire with the camera in minutes. Rather than having to fly a fire line, now you can see through the smoke, see exactly where the fire is, and quickly trace it. A fire map is then generated, downlinked, and then incident command can be making decisions.”
The system can also uplink imagery or integrate feeds from drones or other aircraft on scene, which is useful for several different types of missions.
Other applications for the 380X-HDc include wildlife surveying, pipeline inspection, polar bear den identification, and covert surveillance using ultra-long focal length optics.
Teledyne in Canada
Spillane told Vertical the Canadian market is a key focus for Teledyne FLIR, which already has a significant presence in the country. In Waterloo, Ontario, the company manufactures its drones; in Laval, Quebec, it produces ground radars; and across Quebec, it operates semiconductor and LIDAR research facilities.
According to Pat Smith, senior director of business development at Ottawa-based Gastops, Teledyne FLIR is deeply embedded in Canada’s technology sector.
“Teledyne as a whole has a huge footprint in Canada, supported by the Canadian government,” Smith said. “From drones to radar to semiconductors, Teledyne is more Canadian than many might realize. It has been supporting Canadian customers like the OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] for decades, and this tour is about showing them, and other customers, the future of imaging.”
The demonstration tour began in Victoria, British Columbia, before moving to Langley, B.C., then on to Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, and then east to Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. The tour will conclude in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in early September. Along the way, the Bell 429 — featuring a distinctive FLIR-themed thermal paint scheme, which was hand-painted at Bell’s Piney Flats, Tennessee, facility — has been grabbing people’s attention.
“We wanted to make the aircraft very unique and specific to FLIR,” said Spillane. “We wanted the aircraft to have an identity. That’s why we went with the thermal pattern, which has been a huge win.”
Eric Wise, Teledyne FLIR’s flight department manager and pilot-in-command for the cross-Canada tour, said the fact that the company has its own demo platform to showcase its products on “sets us apart from competitors. . . . The reception [during the tour] has been fantastic. Customers appreciate being able to see the system in action on a real mission platform.”
(Teledyne FLIR also owns a Pilatus PC-12 demo aircraft, which it plans to use for fixed-wing demos of the 380X-HDc system in the near future.)
The 380X technology has garnered a warm reception during the Canadian tour, according to Smith. “The feedback during this tour has been really positive. Even existing customers who already fly the 380-HDc are very interested in the new X features — especially the future growth path it provides. Upcoming capabilities, like the license plate reader, have generated a lot of excitement.”
As the tour wraps up, the 380X-HDc is giving Canadian agencies a first look at where airborne imaging technology is headed.
“This system reduces stress, enhances awareness, and gives operators the flexibility to adapt to whatever the mission demands,” Spillane said. “It’s not just about the camera anymore — it’s about enabling people to think at a higher level during critical operations.”
