Black Hornet Nano Helicopter UAV Supports British Troops in Afghan

Black Hornet Nanocopter British troops in Afghanistan are the first to use state-of-the-art handheld nano surveillance helicopters. T...

Black Hornet Nanocopter

British troops in Afghanistan are the first to use state-of-the-art handheld nano surveillance helicopters.

The Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle measures around 4 inches by 1 inch (10cm x 2.5cm) and provides troops on the ground with vital situational awareness.

The Black Hornet is equipped with a tiny camera which gives troops reliable full-motion video and still images. Soldiers are using it to peer around corners or over walls and other obstacles to identify any hidden dangers and the images are displayed on a handheld terminal.

This revolutionary new system - the size of a child’s toy - is carried easily on patrol and is capable of performing in harsh environments and windy conditions.

Display Unit

The Black Hornet weighs as little as 16 grams and has been developed by Prox Dynamics AS of Norway as part of a £20 million contract for 160 units with Marlborough Communications Ltd in Surrey.
Mini drones can be piloted directly or programmed to follow co-ordinates using GPS.

Powered by battery, the Black Hornet is reported to have a range of about half a mile (800m), a top speed of 22mph (35kph) and can fly for up to 30 minutes.

UAV Specifications:

• Rotor Span 120 mm, Mass 16 gr including Camera
• Maximum Speed 10 m/s, Endurance up to 25 minutes
• Digital Data Link, Range 1000 m Line-of-Sight
• GPS Navigation or Visual Navigation through Video
• Autopilot with Autonomous and Directed Modes
• Hover & Stare, Automatic Search Patterns, Pre- planned Routes Sensors
• Steerable EO Camera (pan/tilt)
• Live Video and Snapshot Images