FLIR Systems has announced the launch of the Black Hornet 3 nano-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for use by global militaries, government agencies, and first responders. The Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) is claimed by FLIR to be the world’s smallest combat-proven nano-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and FLIR’s next generation Black Hornet 3 nano-UAV adds the ability to navigate in GPS-denied environments, enabling the warfighter to maintain situational awareness, threat detection, and surveillance no matter where the mission takes them.
The Black Hornet PRS has been fielded by over 30 nations over the past seven years and continues to represent the cutting-edge in the combat nano-UAS space, enabling small combat units, SWAT teams, and first responders with immediately available intelligence, target-acquisition, and reconnaissance capability. The Black Hornet 3 weighs 32 grams and offers improved speed and distance compared to previous versions. The UAS flies 2 kilometers at speeds of over 21 kilometers an hour. The Black Hornet 3 also incorporates sharper imaging processing featuring the FLIR Lepton thermal microcamera core and a visible sensor to allow greater image fidelity. The design also features an improved encrypted military-approved digital datalink, enabling seamless communications and imagery significantly beyond line-of-sight and in closed areas.
Additionally, the Black Hornet 3 seamlessly integrates into the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) utilized by the military to provide battlefield networks and distribution of information to anyone on the network.
“We are excited to bring this advanced Black Hornet 3 to our warfighters and first responders,” said James Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR. “With longer range and indoor flight capabilities, the latest generation Black Hornet provides full surveillance coverage continuity to the mission. The Black Hornet 3 is representative of FLIR’s new focus on providing full-solution technology, and we look forward to playing a role in helping modernize our military customers.”
FLIR recently announced that it had been awarded a $2.6 million order from the United States Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program to deliver the Black Hornet in a first batch order. Units delivered for the SBS program, in addition to units recently deployed by the Royal Australian Army and French Armed Forces, will be the Black Hornet 3.
