US company developing new version of Black Hornet mini-drone PHOTO

A new version of the Black Hornet Nano UAV, which is in service with the Turkish Armed Forces, is being developed.

The UAV costs about $200,000 and weighs only 70 grammes, Caliber.Az reports citing the message of SavunmaSanayiST.com on X.

200 bin dolarlık Black Hornet İHA için yeni versiyon

- Tanesi 200 bin dolar değerindeki Black Hornet, bir askerin eline sığabiliyor

Detaylar: https://t.co/OfYHZcC6sQ pic.twitter.com/1lAy8swB16

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) October 12, 2023

The US Teledyne FLIR company is developing a new version of the world-famous mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Black Hornet Nano. The new unmanned system, called Black Hornet 4, is less than 30 centimetres long and weighs just 70 grammes. The UAV is so small that it can fit in a soldier's hand.

According to the manufacturer, the new version is based on its previous version. The UAV can take off in less than 20 seconds and perform missions even in conditions where GPS is unavailable.

Moreover, the system will be able to identify targets beyond the line of sight and assess the effectiveness of weapon systems in real-time.

Compared to previous Black Hornets, the latest Black Hornet 4 has better flight performance and obstacle avoidance capabilities. It also has an advanced battery allowing it to fly at a top speed of 10 miles (16 kilometres) per hour during more than 30 minutes.

The drone has a range of two kilometres (1.2 miles) and can withstand wind of 25 knots.

One of the most significant features of the Black Hornet 4 is its extremely low visual and acoustic features, which allow it to identify threats without being detected by enemy radars.

The system can give better images of the battlefield thanks to a new 12-megapixel camera and high-resolution thermal imager.

On the other hand, ASELSAN continues working on micro- and nano-UAVs in Türkiye. It aims to put an end to Türkiye's external dependence in this sphere thanks to the systems that ASELSAN is developing.