Teledyne FLIR Defense unveils Black Recon micro-drone at Eurosatory

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Teledyne FLIR Defense unveiled its new Black Recon micro-drone at the latest Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. Zona Militar spoke with a company spokesperson to find out more about this latest addition to the firm’s family of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Black Recon customers and US Army trials

When Zona Militar asked whether the new drone already had customers, the company exclusively disclosed that “we have signed contracts with two European customers and discussions continue with other potential buyers outside the United States”, adding that “we also expect to conduct trials with the US Army later this year”.

Vehicle-borne Black Recon surveillance operations

The Black Recon was developed specifically for carriage aboard vehicles, giving the ground platform rapid airborne surveillance capabilities. The company confirmed to Zona Militar that “the first flights took place in Norway last winter. It has been internally tested on a Ford Raptor vehicle”. The system can also be used to monitor military facilities.

In a press release issued on 15 June, the company stated that Black Recon enables crews to launch, operate, recover and recharge up to three unmanned aerial systems without leaving the platform, lowering risks and speeding up decision-making.

Teledyne FLIR also emphasised that the micro-drone is intended for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) missions. Once its mission is complete, the platform returns to the launcher to be captured, docked and recharged. A single vehicle can control as many as three Black Recon systems at the same time.

Each Black Recon system includes three micro-drones, the company added, meaning that “a single operator can control all three from a vehicle or fixed facility”. The spokesperson also outlined Teledyne FLIR’s intended approach for vehicle crews: while one drone carries out a reconnaissance mission, a second returns to the base station to recharge, and a third remains in its container ready for launch. “In this way, the Black Recon platform provides persistent situational awareness 24 hours a day, seven days a week”, the company said.

Black Recon performance, sensors and Black Hornet 4 compatibility

The platform has an endurance of 50 to 60 minutes, a maximum speed of 25 metres per second, and a weight of less than 450 grams. According to its product specification sheet, Black Recon can launch automatically in under 30 seconds and be recovered in under 45 seconds. The micro-drone has a range of up to six kilometres.

It can be fitted with thermal and optical sensors to deliver real-time imagery and target-acquisition data. Advanced sensors and visual-navigation systems also allow it to operate where global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are unavailable. Black Recon further offers optional 100-gram mission modules for future lethality capabilities, specialised sensors, and payloads for detecting CBRN threats-chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear.

Black Recon is also compatible with the Black Hornet 4 nano-drone, likewise developed by the company. Asked by Zona Militar about this feature, the company clarified that “the autonomous launch of Black Recon drones from the container is carried out using a dedicated control device”. However, the benefit of operating Black Hornet 4 and Black Recon together is that “both can be controlled in flight using the same common controller”.