US Army Soldiers Will Soon be Armed With Drones That Fit in the Palm of Your Hand
Photo above: FLIR Black Hornet III FLIR Systems
By Ryan Pickrell,Business Insider
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Pocket-sized drones are on their way to US Army soldiers, offering a better view of the battlefield and giving them a lethal edge over enemies.
The Army has awarded FLIR Systems a $39.6 million contract to provide Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance Drones, next-level technology which could be a total game changer for US troops in the field, the company revealed in a recent press release.
The Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System
FLIR Black Hornet PRS FLIR Systems
Measuring just 6.6 inches in length and weighing only 1.16 ounces, these "nano unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems" are "small enough for a dismounted soldier to carry on a utility belt," accordingto FLIR Systems.
These drones can provide situational awareness and beyond visual line-of-sight capability day or night at a distance of up to 1.24 miles, covering ground at a max speed of 20 feet per second.
The "nearly silent" combat systems can provide constant covert coverage of the battlefield for almost half an hour, transmitting both live video and high-definition photographs back to the operator.
A potential live-saving tool for troops
FLIR Black Hornet PRS FLIR Systems
FLIR says the drone's ability to covertly detect and identify threats will save the lives of troops in combat.
The Army is looking at a number of technologies that will allow soldiers to spot and even fire on enemies without putting themselves in harm's way, such as night vision goggles connected to an integrated weapons sight that allows troops to shoot from the hip and around corners with accuracy.
On its way to troops this year
FLIR Black Hornet PRS Monitor FLIR Systems
The new drones "will give our soldiers operating at the squad level immediate situational awareness of the battlefield through its ability to gather intelligence, provide surveillance, and conduct reconnaissance," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Isaac Taylor told Task & Purpose.
The Hornets will first be delivered to a single brigade combat team, but they will later be sent to platoons across the various brigade combat teams.
Deliveries will start early this year, FLIR revealed in its recent press statement.
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