Fifty percent greater comms range and easier-to-use Android tablet with twice the battery life are some of new user-driven features on Black Hornet unmanned aerial system

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY), has announced a number of upgrades to its Black Hornet® 4 Personal Reconnaissance System to further boost operational effectiveness for warfighters. The enhanced features are being showcased at the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week annual conference at the Tampa Convention Center, May 6 to May 8.

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Teledyne FLIR Defense has announced a number of upgrades to its Black Hornet® 4 Personal Reconnaissance System to further boost operational effectiveness for warfighters. Improvements include a 50% increase in Black Hornet’s radio communications range from two to three kilometers. The BH4’s new Android tablet now has up to twice the battery life, plus a battery heater for charging in cold temperatures. The new tablet also features improved ergonomics, making it easier to use while wearing gloves. Black Hornet 4 represents the next generation of lightweight nano-drones, able to provide enhanced covert situational awareness to small fighting units. Its 12-megapixel daytime camera and high-resolution thermal imager deliver crisp video and still images to the operator. At just 70 grams, Black Hornet 4 can fly for over 30 minutes and more than three kilometers.

In development over the past year, the series of improvements include a 50% increase in Black Hornet’s radio communications range from two to three kilometers (in optimal conditions). The BH4’s new Android tablet, part of the ground control station, now has up to twice the battery life, plus a battery heater for charging in cold temperatures. The new tablet also features improved ergonomics, making it easier to use while wearing gloves.

Black Hornet 4 can operate in 25-knot winds and rain, and extensive testing was performed to validate its already rugged endurance capabilities. The drone itself is now IP-52 rated, able to withstand 7.6 mm of rain per hour while in flight, while the ground control station boasts an IP-54 rating.

All of the upgrades are being rolled out immediately.

“Since its inception, our team has focused on continually improving the Black Hornet UAS to ensure maximum mission effectiveness,” said Ketil Vanebo, vice president of Unmanned Systems-Norway at Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We’ve listened to feedback from operators at the tactical edge and incorporated their needs into these latest capabilities and features. We’re proud to make them available to Black Hornet 4 users worldwide.”

Black Hornet 4 represents the next generation of lightweight nano-drones, able to provide enhanced covert situational awareness to small fighting units. Its 12-megapixel daytime camera and high-resolution thermal imager deliver crisp video and still images to the operator. At just 70 grams Black Hornet 4 can fly for over 30 minutes and more than three kilometers. Flight performance is augmented by advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities and other features.

Compared to quad-rotor drones, the single rotor Black Hornet 4 UAV has an extremely low visual and audible signature, enabling it to identify threats day or night without being detected. Able to launch in less than 20 seconds and well suited for missions in GPS-denied environments, Black Hornet 4 can be used to rapidly identify targets beyond visual line-of-sight and assess weapon effects in real-time.

FLIR Defense has delivered more than 33,000 Black Hornet drones to military and security forces in over 45 countries. The U.S. Army began acquiring Black Hornet systems in 2018 for its Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program. Since then, it has placed orders under SBS and other vehicles totaling more than $300 million.

The award-winning Black Hornet is designed and built by Teledyne FLIR Defense in Norway.

About Teledyne FLIR Defense

Teledyne FLIR Defense has been providing advanced, mission-critical technology and systems for more than 45 years. Our products are on the frontlines of the world’s most pressing military, security and public safety challenges. As a global leader in thermal imaging, we design and build sophisticated surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. We develop the most rugged, trusted unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives. At Teledyne FLIR Defense we bring together this expertise to deliver solutions that enable critical decisions and keep our world safe – from any threat, anywhere. To learn more, visit us online or follow @flir and @flir_defense.

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne's operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne's website at www.teledyne.com.

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“We’ve listened to feedback from operators at the tactical edge and incorporated their needs into these latest capabilities and features. We’re proud to make them available to Black Hornet 4 users worldwide.”