The latest version of Black Hornet personal reconnaissance system (PRS) uses Black Hornet 3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Image courtesy of FLIR Systems.
Black Hornet PRS enhances the situational awareness of dismounted soldiers. Image courtesy of FLIR Systems.
The UAV offers an endurance of up to 25 minutes. Image courtesy of FLIR Systems.
Black Hornet personal reconnaissance system (PRS) is manufactured by FLIR Systems for use by military forces, government organisations, and disaster relief agencies across the world.
The PRS uses the Black Hornet 3 unmanned aerial vehicle, which is an upgraded version of the combat-proven Black Hornet PD-100.
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The unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is designed to assist dismounted soldiers deployed on the battlefield. It enhances the situational awareness of the soldiers by acting as a dismounted covert soldier delivering all the key data on surroundings and will spy on enemy movements to ensure the safety of frontline soldiers.
More than 12,000 Black Hornet UAS have been delivered to defence and security forces across the world as of May 2020.
Orders and deliveries
The US Army awarded a $2.6m contract to FLIR Systems in May 2018 for the delivery of Black Hornet PRS under the Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) programme. FLIR secured another contract worth $39.6m for the delivery of additional PRS units in support of the SBS programme in January 2019.
An additional $20.6m contract was awarded by the US Army for the Black Hornet PRS in May 2020.
FLIR was awarded an $89m contract by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) to support the French Armed Forces’ French Operational Pocket Drone (DrOP) programme, in January 2019.
The Australian Army awarded a $6.8m contract to FLIR for delivery of Black Hornet PRS in October 2017. The units are intended to support platoon and troop level organic surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Black Hornet 3 design and features
The PRS comprises two Black Hornet 3 UAVs and a ground-based control station. The Black Hornet 3 features a compact and rugged design and offers a pocket-sized solution to the covert operations. It is also touted to be the world’s smallest intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) UAV platform.
Featuring a rotor diameter of 4.8in (123mm) and a length of 6.6in (168mm), the UAV weighs no more than 33g and offers best in class audio and visual detection signature.
The spectrum of applications that can be performed by the UAV include immediate ISR and covert operations, situational awareness, beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) reconnaissance, and force protection.
Its compact dimentions enable the vehicle to be carried by soldiers easily along with their combat gear. The UAV generates very less noise making it suitable for stealth operations. It is capable of operating in wind speeds ranging between 15kt and 20kt and in temperatures between -10ºC and 43ºC.
The time required for the launch of the UAV varies between 30 and 120 seconds based on the launch mode. The UAV can be operated in multiple flight modes including auto and manual hover and stare, route and user selectable waypoint actions, lost link, and automatic return.
Sensors and navigation system details of Black Hornet 3 UAV
Black Hornet 3 UAV features two electro-optic (EO) cameras and a fused thermal LED light night imager. It allows the soldiers to capture live videos and still images by expanding their visual range.
The navigational requirements of the UAV are served by the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The unmanned aircraft can be optionally upgraded to vision-based navigation for GPS-denied indoor operation and embedded vector and raster maps. It also offers an encrypted data link with a radio range of 2km.
Ground control station of Black Hornet personal reconnaissance system
The Black Hornet PRS is controlled by a ground control station (GCS), which includes a base station, controller, and a display module. The base station can accommodate two nano Black Hornet 3 UAVs.
A one-handed controller can be integrated with the base station for the execution and analysis of mission plans. The mission data gathered by the UAVs is relayed to the Base station for further analysis.
The control station integrates high-quality, lightweight displays offering readability in broad daylight. The displays are powered by internal rechargeable batteries.
Power unit and performance
The Black Hornet nano UAV is equipped with a field replaceable battery, which powers the main rotor and the two-bladed tail rotor.
It can fly at a maximum speed of approximately 21.49km/h and offers a flight endurance of up to 25 minutes and a range of 2km.
FLIR Defense says it has delivered more than 14,000 Black Hornet PRS systems to military and security forces in 40 countries, with the last publicly available price at $195,000 per unit.
Although the Army was seeking a mini-drone for use by individual squads through the Soldier Borne Sensors (SBS) program, the individually handmade Black Hornet was seen as too expensive for large-scale deployment, with a unit costing as much as US$195,000.
With a 25-minute flight time at ranges of 2 km (1.24 miles) and speeds of 21.49 kph (13.35 mph), the Black Hornet PRS can rapidly and more safely engage targets beyond visual line-of-sight and conduct real-time weapon effectiveness assessment.
It's called the Black Hornet. It weighs less than 1.2 ounces, takes off from its operator's hand, and streams back video to a screen so people can see what the drone sees and make decisions before approaching a structure that might have hostile forces or other hazards inside it.
Detect and identify threats day and night without being detected.Increase operational tempo and expand maneuver options. A total system weight of 1.3kg and small enough for dismounted soldier to carry on a utility belt, Black Hornet PRS deploys easily, with minimal training required.
Each Raven costs around $35,000 but the total system is valued at approximately $250,000. The US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command are the primary users of Raven B. The Raven is also operated by US allies such as Australia, Italy, Denmark, the UK, and Spain.
Glass is not crystal-clear in the range of wavelength used by the infrared sensors of thermal imaging. Hence, a unique and distinct material is needed for lenses. Most of the thermal lenses constitute germanium. Germanium is the only metal that costs almost 1,500 dollars per one kilogram it the raw state.
First, they have nothing to do with reflected light energy: they see heat. Everything you see in normal daily life has a heat signature. This is why you have a much better chance of seeing something at night with a thermal imager than you do with visible light camera, even a night vision camera.
A FLIR MWIR camera with a 100mm lens can see objects at distances of up to 1 kilometer. A FLIR LWIR camera with a 200mm lens can see objects at distances of up to 2 kilometers. A FLIR thermal zoom camera with a 1000mm lens can see objects at distances of up to 10 kilometers.
The Autel EVO II Pro caught my interest as one of the best long range drones with its stated maximum transmission range of 9km (5.5 miles) under ideal conditions. I recently had the chance to put the EVO II Pro through extensive real-world testing to see how far I could push its limits as a long range drone.
How long can a US military drone stay in the air? Ranging from a few minutes to literal days. The RQ-4 Global Hawk for example can fly for a reported 42 hours and 14,000 NM, and can survey an area the size of South Korea or Ireland, per day.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set a legal limit of 400 feet for both recreational and commercial drone flying. This is to ensure safety and avoid collisions with other aircraft.
Yes, in the United States, you can purchase a military aircraft as long as it isn't restricted (for US-manufactured aircraft) or prohibited from importation into the US (for foreign-made aircraft).
On the less expensive end there is the TB2. The most accessible (cheap) drone capable of both survelience and bombing without other support is the Bayraktar TB2 drone - which for better or likely worse is being exported all over the world.
According to U.S. Army's current procurement budget one Short Range Reconnaissance drone set, including two drones and a ground control unit, costs $39,806. That's roughly $20k for each drone.
The advertised flyaway cost of the F/A-18F is about $65 million. With an expected life of 6,000 flight hours, the amortized capital cost of the asset is $10,800.
FLIR Systems' Pd-100 Black Hornet 3, aka the Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS), is seven inches long and weighs less than 1.6 ounces. It does not have any weaponry onboard. Yet. It apparently costs $195,000.
The Christian Science Monitor reports that the per-unit cost of the RQ-170 may only be a paltry $6 million, meaning the secretive drone may not be carrying the most advanced tech America has to offer, but may instead be used as a high-capability, low-cost platform.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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