Norway and United Kingdom are joining forces to acquire the Norwegian micro-drone Black Hornet as a donation to Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities have asked for this type of equipment in the fight against the Russian invasion. The cost will be up to NOK 90 million ($ 9.34 million). The package includes Black Hornet units, spare parts, transportation and training. This will be financed by the British-led fund to which Norway has contributed NOK 400 million. The Black Hornet is used in a number of allied countries, including the United States and Great Britain. The drone is used for reconnaissance and target identification. It is easy to operate, robust, difficult to detect and particularly well suited for combat in urban areas, says Norway’s Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.
The micro-drone will be acquired from Teledyne Flir, as a call-off on a framework agreement that The Norwegian Defence Material Agency has. Procurement, training and delivery of the material is done in collaboration with and coordinated by the British authorities. Close cooperation with the defence industry will be crucial to continued key deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine in the future. This cooperation also ensures that Ukraine has more modern and efficient weapons and systems. Norway and the UK remain determined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine. These cutting-edge drones will help give Ukraine’s troops a vital advantage on the battlefield as they fight to defend their country against Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion.
Teledyne FLIR Defense announced that it has entered into a framework agreement worth up to NOK 475 million (approximately $48 million) with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency to deliver advanced Black Hornet® nano unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). With these new orders, Norway will become one of the largest users of Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System. FLIR Systems, Inc. announced that the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment has procured one of the company’s Black Hornet Vehicle Reconnaissance Systems (VRS) as part of an innovative base protection program. Adapted from the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS), VRS extends the capabilities of the award-winning Black Hornet nano-UAV.
FLIR Black Hornet VRS equips armored or mechanized vehicles with an immediate, self-contained surveillance and reconnaissance system. Adapted from the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS), VRS extends the capabilities of the award-winning Black Hornet nano-UAV. The launch unit, with fully integrated controls inside the vehicle, mounts externally and can deploy up to four Black Hornet drones. The Black Hornet weighs just 33 grams (less than 0.1 pounds) and measures 168 millimeters (less than seven inches). Well suited for operations in highly contested and GPS-denied environments, nearly silent, and with a flight time up to 25 minutes, the pocket-sized UAV transmits live visible and thermal video to the operator.
