TECH

PD-100 Black Hornet: The world's smallest known war drone to date

The PD-100 Black Hornet is a small unmanned aerial vehicle, originally developed by Prox Dynamics and now manufactured by Teledyne FLIR Defense, designed to give soldiers in the field a discreet way to observe threats, access remote locations, and enhance situational awareness in military operations.

With ultra-compact dimensions, the Black Hornet was created to be carried alongside a soldier's individual equipment. The complete system includes two drones and a base station, and was designed to fit in a soldier's pocket. The idea is to allow small units to reconnoiter congested, dangerous, or difficult-to-access areas without having to expose themselves directly.

The PD-100 model measures approximately 100 millimeters in length, has a 120-millimeter rotor diameter, and weighs 16 grams, including the surveillance camera. The complete system, without the display, weighs less than 1 kilogram. Despite its size, the drone features a molded plastic structure, aerodynamic shape, and the ability to withstand strong winds.

Cameras, GPS, and near-silent flight...The Black Hornet is equipped with three surveillance cameras hidden in the front. It also has a steerable electro-optical camera capable of producing still images and live videos transmitted to a portable device used by the operator.

The drone can be controlled directly via a joystick-like device or programmed to follow a predefined route with the aid of integrated GPS. The digital data link allows the equipment to operate in a straight line up to 1,000 meters away.

According to system information, the Black Hornet generates almost imperceptible noise, a characteristic that increases its use in reconnaissance missions. It is ready to fly in less than a minute, reaches speeds of up to 10 meters per second, and has a maximum autonomy of 25 minutes.

From Afghanistan to the US Army...The development of the Black Hornet began in April 2008 by Prox Dynamics. Following flight tests and operational evaluations, the drone entered mass production in early 2012.

The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a $31 million contract to Prox Dynamics, through Marlborough Communications, to supply 160 units of the system to the British armed forces. The equipment was deployed in Afghanistan to meet the surveillance needs of UK troops.

Prox Dynamics delivered 100 Black Hornet units in early 2013 and, in November 2016, was acquired by FLIR Systems in a $134 million transaction.

In the United States, the drone was selected in July 2014 by the US Army's Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Centre as part of its Pocket Cargo Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance program. The equipment underwent training with US military forces in the first quarter of 2015.

More recent versions...FLIR launched the Black Hornet 3 in June 2018. The model weighed 32 grams and gained improved features, including the ability to fly in GPS-free environments. In January 2019, the company received an initial contract of US$39.7 million for the Black Hornet 3, followed by another of US$20.6 million for the supply of the model's Personal Reconnaissance Systems.

The Black Hornet 4 version represents the new generation of these lightweight nanodrones. Weighing 70 grams, the equipment can fly for more than 30 minutes, travel more than three kilometers, and operate in winds of 25 knots and rain. The model also features a 12-megapixel daytime camera, a high-resolution thermal camera, advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities, and video and image transmission to the operator.

In May, FLIR Defense inaugurated a 13,000-square-foot facility in Somerset, Kentucky, that will serve as a support center for maintenance, testing, and training related to the Black Hornet systems used by the United States Armed Forces.

In total, 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 the system in 2018 as part of the Soldier Borne Sensor program. Since then, orders placed through the program and other contracts have totaled more than $300 million.

 

by mundophone