The United States began to massively equip the army with pocket drones
Four years of experiments give their results: the US Army begins to send operational units of the Black Hornet mini-UAV (Black Hornet). This miniature helicopter will create an additional advantage for the combat units on the battlefield - after all, in fact, you can put it in your pocket.
At the beginning of the year, it was confirmed that 60 copies of the smallest drone in the world have already gone to the troops. And two weeks after the publication of this information, the company FLIR System, the manufacturer of a miniature intelligence officer, has confirmed that she received an order worth $ 39,6 million. The contract involves the supply of thousands of UAVs (along with the appropriate equipment) in the coming years.
“The equipment is getting smaller, and an increasing number of soldiers, thanks to this, are getting access to it. You can just take this thing in your pocket and carry it with you”, said Sunny Koshal, head of support at the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (he is responsible for organizing the supply drones combat units).
The latest version of the Hornet, the Black Hornet 3, which FLIR Systems also calls the personal reconnaissance system (PRS), weighs less than 45 g and its length is less than 18, see. The package includes a dock for two drons moment of carrying), as well as a handheld remote control with touch screen and controller. All this, together with a number of other, smaller parts, comes in a fairly large container. However, the main system easily fits in a soldier’s backpack.
For its compact size and weight, the system offers incredible features. Each “Black Hornet” carries two HD daytime video cameras as well as a thermal imager. In night mode Black hornet able to improve image quality through the use of power electro-optical systems. This makes it easier for the operator to identify the target, allowing the civilian to be separated from the armed enemy.
Black Hornet has a GPS sensor to coordinate action out of sight. The operator can either use the controller to control the unmanned helicopter manually, monitoring its activity through the cameras in the nose using the touch display, or specify a motion map using semi-autonomous control. The connection with the drone is encrypted, and in case of loss of contact, the system will send a mini-helicopter in the direction of the last contact with the operator.
The cost of the system is about 15000-20000 dollars per set. UAV RQ-11 Raven, one of the most common small drones in the service of the United States military, is almost 10 times more expensive. And he is more.
PD-100 Prox Dynamics - this is the official name of the Black Hornet - is the product of the development of Norwegian engineers. The US Army uses its early versions from 2014 of the year - mainly for military operations in Afghanistan. In the future, the armed forces are considering the possibility of equipping any armored vehicles with small UAVs, which will replace the current Bradley. And the "Hornet" has every chance to take this place.
At the beginning of the year, it was confirmed that 60 copies of the smallest drone in the world have already gone to the troops. And two weeks after the publication of this information, the company FLIR System, the manufacturer of a miniature intelligence officer, has confirmed that she received an order worth $ 39,6 million. The contract involves the supply of thousands of UAVs (along with the appropriate equipment) in the coming years.
“The equipment is getting smaller, and an increasing number of soldiers, thanks to this, are getting access to it. You can just take this thing in your pocket and carry it with you”, said Sunny Koshal, head of support at the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (he is responsible for organizing the supply drones combat units).
The latest version of the Hornet, the Black Hornet 3, which FLIR Systems also calls the personal reconnaissance system (PRS), weighs less than 45 g and its length is less than 18, see. The package includes a dock for two drons moment of carrying), as well as a handheld remote control with touch screen and controller. All this, together with a number of other, smaller parts, comes in a fairly large container. However, the main system easily fits in a soldier’s backpack.
For its compact size and weight, the system offers incredible features. Each “Black Hornet” carries two HD daytime video cameras as well as a thermal imager. In night mode Black hornet able to improve image quality through the use of power electro-optical systems. This makes it easier for the operator to identify the target, allowing the civilian to be separated from the armed enemy.
Black Hornet has a GPS sensor to coordinate action out of sight. The operator can either use the controller to control the unmanned helicopter manually, monitoring its activity through the cameras in the nose using the touch display, or specify a motion map using semi-autonomous control. The connection with the drone is encrypted, and in case of loss of contact, the system will send a mini-helicopter in the direction of the last contact with the operator.
The cost of the system is about 15000-20000 dollars per set. UAV RQ-11 Raven, one of the most common small drones in the service of the United States military, is almost 10 times more expensive. And he is more.
PD-100 Prox Dynamics - this is the official name of the Black Hornet - is the product of the development of Norwegian engineers. The US Army uses its early versions from 2014 of the year - mainly for military operations in Afghanistan. In the future, the armed forces are considering the possibility of equipping any armored vehicles with small UAVs, which will replace the current Bradley. And the "Hornet" has every chance to take this place.
- Evgeny Kamenetsky
- flir.com, the US press service
Information