The Black Hornet systems are incorporated into military operations of more than 40 countries. Credit: © Teledyne FLIR LLC.

Teledyne FLIR Defense has secured a contract, valued at up to $91m, to provide the US Army with its latest Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems.  

These advanced nano-uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) will be acquired under the Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) programme Phase II. 

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The initial order of $25m received by the company will facilitate the delivery of the first batch of Black Hornet 4 drones, controllers, spare parts, and training.  

Deliveries under the latest SBS Phase II orders commenced in September. 

The US Army initiated the acquisition of Black Hornet 3 systems for the original SBS programme in 2018. Since that time, it has placed orders exceeding $215m for this drone. 

The Black Hornet systems are incorporated into military operations of more than 40 countries.  

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These were first introduced at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, in October 2023. 

The drone features a high-resolution Thermal Imager (TI) and an Electro Optical (EO) camera that excels in low-light conditions. 

Designed for portability and rapid deployment, the Black Hornet 4 enables military personnel to obtain real-time video and images from a secure vantage point.  

Teledyne FLIR Defense president Dr. JihFen Lei said: “The Black Hornet 4 stands out as the world’s most capable nano-UAS for the world’s most high-risk missions.  

“We are honoured 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.” 

In 2023, Teledyne FLIR Defense secured a contract to augment the capabilities of the R80D SkyRaider UAS.  

This contract, awarded by the US Department of Defense, was valued at approximately $13.3m.