Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet 4 Nano-Drone Selected as Winner of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS Challenge

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced that its Black Hornet® 4 Personal Reconnaissance System has been selected as a winner of the Blue UAS Refresh.

In November, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) hosted a Blue UAS Refresh event at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Over three dozen military drone users tested more than 35 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) products and capabilities to support the DoD’s growing requirement for effective drone technology. Black Hornet 4 was chosen during the evaluation.

Led by DIU, Blue UAS vets and verifies commercial drone technology for the Department of Defense and U.S. government. As a result of winning Blue UAS Refresh, Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet® 4 will begin the NDAA and cyber security verification process required to join the Blue UAS List with an Authority to Operate (ATO). The Blue UAS List gives users access to a range of approved, NDAA compliant commercial drone systems that can meet their diverse needs.

“Black Hornet 4 has been extremely well received by the warfighter since it was first introduced in late 2023,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We are very proud to see Black Hornet 4 selected as a winner of Blue UAS Refresh and are confident this unique drone will continue to have a huge impact for all operators across all missions.

“Along with having already been selected for the U.S. Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor Tranche 2 program, this latest achievement will make Black Hornet 4 available to an even larger cohort of users,” Lei added.

Black Hornet 4 represents the next generation of lightweight nano-drones, able to provide enhanced covert situational awareness to small fighting units. Its 12-megapixel daytime camera and high-resolution thermal imager deliver crisp video and still images to the operator. At just 70 grams Black Hornet 4 can fly for over 30 minutes, more than three kilometers, and function in 25-knot winds and rain. Flight performance is augmented by advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities and other features.

Compared to quad-rotor drones, the single rotor Black Hornet 4 UAV has an extremely low visual and audible signature, enabling it to identify threats day or night without being detected. Able to launch in less than 20 seconds and well suited for missions in GPS-denied environments, Black Hornet 4 can be used to rapidly identify targets beyond visual line-of-sight and assess weapon effects in real-time.

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 Black Hornet systems in 2018 for its Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program. Since then, it has placed orders under SBS and other vehicles totaling more than $300 million, including a $91 million contract for Black Hornet 4’s last October.

The award-winning Black Hornet is designed and built by Teledyne FLIR Defense in Norway.