Teledyne FLIR has secured a five-year contract to deliver its Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems for the US Army.
The nano-unmanned aerial systems (nano-UAS) are being procured under the service’s Soldier Borne Sensor program to enhance warfighters’ situational awareness through hand-launched reconnaissance drones.
The deal is valued at $25 million and will cover associated controllers, spare parts, and proficiency sessions in addition to the Black Hornet 4 drones.
Teledyne FLIR will receive up to $91 million if all options under the agreement are exercised.
Assembly of the systems will be facilitated at the company’s center in Norway. Deliveries of the first order began in September 2024.
“The Black Hornet 4 stands out as the world’s most capable nano-UAS for the world’s most high-risk missions,” Teledyne FLIR Defense President Dr. JihFen Lei stated.
“We are honored the Army continues to place its trust in us as drone-of-choice provider for Soldier Borne Sensor, and we’re proud to see our technology making a real difference for warfighters on the battlefield.”
FLIR’s Black Hornet 4
The Black Hornet 4 is a 255-millimeter (10-inch) drone with a 190-millimeter (8-inch) rotor diameter.
It is deployable in less than 20 seconds to collect information on visual, audio, and electromagnetic signatures up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the operator at speeds of up to 10 meters (33 feet) per second.
The system can fly in environments with wind gusts of 25 knots (46 kilometers/29 miles per hour) and temperatures ranging from negative 20 to 43 degrees Celsius (negative 4 to 109 Fahrenheit).
The Black Hornet 4 integrates a 12-megapixel electro-optical main camera that is low-light capable, a low-resolution camera for navigation and collision avoidance, a night and thermal imaging camera, and an LED light for illumination during flight.