United States. A group of U.S. soldiers received a team of pocket-sized drones that will allow them to more clearly observe and analyze battlefields without putting themselves in danger.
Soldiers with the Brigade's 3rd Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division recently acquired FLIR-branded personal reconnaissance drones under the Black Hornet reference, a part of the Army's Army Soldier Sensor Program (SBS).
These drones are small, only 6 inches long, and extremely lightweight, making it possible for soldiers to carry these tiny unmanned aerial vehicles on a utility belt. These small drones are capable of flying at about a mile and a half.
One of the engineers involved in the project compared the new drones to flying binoculars that allow soldiers to see their surroundings like never before.
The Army plans to eventually equip each squadron with its own personal reconnaissance drone.
"It's the beginning of an era where every squadron will have a vision beyond their line of sight," explained Nathan Heslink, Assistant Program Manager for SBS with PEO Soldier. "This allows soldiers to detect threats earlier than ever, which means soldiers are more likely to be unharmed during their missions."
