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to donate an unspecified number of the nano programme, which seeks to enhance surveillance and reconnais-
UAVs to Ukraine to help the country in its resis- sance capabilities for the soldier on the battlefield. The US$14 million
tance against Russian aggression. The drone, deal is a follow up to previous contracts secured by the company
which is used for reconnaissance and target starting in May 2018.
identification, has been acquired by the U.S., the
UK, France, Australia, India, and several allied “The Black Hornet is one tough small package with tremendous
militaries. capabilities that gives warfighters much needed situational under-
standing and standoff before undertaking dangerous operations,”
According to Teledyne FLIR, the Black Hornet says Dr JihFen Lei, Teledyne FLIR Defence executive vice-president
PRS is extremely light, nearly silent, and is capa- and general manager.
ble of a flight time up to 25 minutes. Weighing
33 grams and 168 millimeters (less than seven The Black Hornet is in demand in other regions as well. In June this
inches) long, the drone has been extensively year, Teledyne FLIR announced that it had signed a US$48 million
used by militaries for reconnaissance and target contract with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency for an undis-
identification in heavily contested and GPS- closed number of the Black Hornets. The drones will be delivered to
denied environments. The pocket-sized micro the country within four years. The first Black Hornet was delivered
drone is reusable, virtually silent, and invisible, to Norway in 2015.
and transmits live video and high definition still
images back to the operator, giving battlefield MEANING BUSINESS
personnel added safety and situational aware-
ness. Another company making considerable inroads into the market
Capable of operating both during the day and is AeroVironment, maker of medium, small, and nano drones. In
at night, the drone has a range of about two September, the U.S. Defence Department announced that the com-
kilometers and a maximum speed of around 17.7 pany would supply its Puma 3 AE unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to
kilometers per hour. According to the company, two allied nations. The Puma 3 AE, a lightweight and hand-launched
the drone, even if small, will not be affected even UAS, has a wingspan of 8.5 feet and provides aerial observation at
by winds of up to 20 knots (10 m/s). The latest line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers. The company’s smallest
version of the drone - Black Hornet 3 - weighs UAS- the Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) - is a follow up to the Defence
32g and offers a host of enhanced features, Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Black Widow MAV
including the ability to fly in non-GPS environ- programme, and has a wingspan of 41 cm. It weighs 275 grams.
ments. In May 2017, AeroVironment unveiled the Snipe Nano Quad, a
miniature UAS designed to support close-range intelligence, sur-
According to Teledyne FLIR, more than 12,000 veillance and reconnaissance missions. Snipe was inspired by the
Black Hornets has been sold worldwide. In May Nano Hummingbird that the company developed for DARPA as
this year, the company secured a new contract part of its Nano Air Vehicle programme. The Nano Hummingbird or
to deliver additional Black Hornet 3 PRS, which Nano Air Vehicle (NAV), a flapping-wing nano unmanned air vehicle
is an upgraded version of the Black Hornet (UAV) with tri-axis control, resembles and flies like a hummingbird.
PD-100, to the U.S. Army. The service will use Designed and developed by AeroVironment’s MacCready Works
the drones as part of its older Borne Sensor (SBS) Advanced Solutions team, the tiny drone is able to hover and fly

sideways, backward, and forward, as well as rotate clockwise and
counterclockwise.

In December 2020, BAE Systems announced that the British Army
is trailing the Bug Nano drone developed by the company in col-
laboration with UAVTEK, a British company. The drone weighs just
196g, has a 40-minute battery life and a 2km range. According to
the company, the Bug has the ability to fly even in strong winds
of more than 50mph. UAVTEK, which elbowed out Teledyne FLIR’s
Black Hornet 3 to win the UK Ministry of Defence contract to develop
the drone, is also partnering with General Dynamics as part of the
project. The Bug has the ability to fly more than three times longer
than the Black Hornet.

Although not their primary area of focus, many major defence
contractors have small drones in their product portfolio. Lockheed
Martin’s Indago 3-UAV, used for ISR missions, weighs less than 10lbs,

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