Teledyne FLIR Defense wins $15 million contract for Black Hornet 4 Nano-Drones

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has received an order from the German Army to provide its Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems to German armed forces.

Teledyne FLIR performs as the supplier within a two-year agreement with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to deliver Black Hornet 4 systems, parts and training. The contract award was facilitated by Teledyne FLIR’s regional partner, European Logistic Partners (ELP) GmbH of Wuppertal, Germany as the contractor for BAAINBw.

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 70g Black Hornet 4 can fly for over 30 minutes, more than two kilometers, and function in 25-knot winds and rain. Flight performance is augmented by advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities and other features.

“We’re proud to work with the Bundeswehr and ELP to deliver the unmatched capabilities of Black Hornet 4 to German armed forces,” says Ketil Vanebo, vice president of UAS Norway Operations at Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We're seeing increased adoption of the Black Hornet unmanned aircraft system throughout Europe as regional and global tensions remain high A highly stealthy, advanced drone such as Black Hornet 4 gives warfighters a distinct edge when conducting their toughest missions.”

FLIR Defense has delivered more than 33,000 Black Hornet UAVs to military and security forces in over 45 countries. Black Hornet drones are being used by Ukrainian combat forces and have performed successfully in countless operations under harsh conditions.

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