TheRussianRocket. Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 http://m.livescience.com/40908-palm-size-drones-buzz-over-battlefield.html?utm_content=buffer6702d&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer The Black Hornet nano drone, which can be carried in a soldier's pocket, has an onboard camera that gives troops video and still images of hard-to-access places. Weighing only 0.56 ounces (16 grams), the Black Hornet looks like a tiny toy helicopter. But it's really a nano-size piece of military hardware unlike anything on the battlefield today — experimental robot flies and hummingbirds not withstanding. The PD-100 Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System, unveiled to the American public for the first time last week at the Association of the United States Army Expo in Washington, D.C., is a drone (actually, a pair of them) that a soldier can carry and operate as easily as he or she would a radio. Since last year, the British infantrymen in Afghanistan have been using the new Black Hornets on a variety of missions — from scouting routes for possible enemy ambushes to peeking over the walls of a nearby compound. The unmanned air vehicle was designed for small units that required a quick, tactical "stealth" camera in the sky, said Ole Aguirre, vice president of sales and marketing for Prox Dynamics AS, the Norwegian company that produces the Black Hornet. Indeed, troops working with the Black Hornet say it runs silent and is invisible at more than 30 feet (10 meters). A Brigade Reconnaissance Force sergeant quoted in a U.K. Ministry of Defense announcement said the system is "very easy to operate and offers amazing capability to the guys on the ground." A complete PD-100 kit comes with two Black Hornets, a docking station for battery recharging, a remote control unit and a mobile device with a 7-inch-wide (18 centimeters) screen to watch the camera feed — all of which is carried in a tough, waterproof case, for a total weight of almost 3 lbs. (1.3 kilograms). Pulled out of the case and readied for action, the drone follows GPS waypoints to reach its target. Once there, it sends video and still images back to the operator. The Black Hornet can fly for 20 to 25 minutes before needing to recharge, so it's limited to traveling just three-quarters of a mile (1,200 m) in one shot. Likewise, the Black Hornet is too small to carry a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) camera, so it's not able to do any night-spying. "The smallest MWIR sensor available on the market today is the FLIR Quark, weighing almost two times what our helicopter weighs," Aguirre said. Still, the U.S. Army examined two Black Hornets in February as part of its Cargo Pocket Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (CPISR) effort. The Army purchased two, but what that means program-wise, they declined to say. According to Flightglobal, the British military has amassed 324 Black Hornets in its unmanned aerial vehicle arsenal. Plotting its next development step, Prox Dynamics is seeking to add new sensors and overcome many of the challenges its drone currently faces. "We like keeping our engineers busy," Aguirre said. ...say what you want but I think this is great! Helps us (the allies) out a lot and gives a huge advantage in warfare. A bit scary considering what it can be used for if someone with bad ambitions has it but even then it's not too bad; not like it can shoot and fire like traditional drone; this one is more of a stealth one that can get valuable information once it crosses enemy lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Does this mean the Terminator series was actually a factual message sent by people from the future? Skynet: think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Does this mean the Terminator series was actually a factual message sent by people from the future? Skynet: think about it. Yes James Cameron is psychic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pouria Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 http://m.livescience...campaign=Buffer ...say what you want but I think this is great! Helps us (the allies) out a lot and gives a huge advantage in warfare. A bit scary considering what it can be used for if someone with bad ambitions has it but even then it's not too bad; not like it can shoot and fire like traditional drone; this one is more of a stealth one that can get valuable information once it crosses enemy lines. it looks like a plastic toy that you buy from the dollar store. I thought it would look like a sophisticated hover craft with anti-gravity technology. I think I could even build that, just need a rotor, AA batteries and the little spy cams you can get from ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 it looks like a plastic toy that you buy from the dollar store. I thought it would look like a sophisticated hover craft with anti-gravity technology. I think I could even build that, just need a rotor, AA batteries and the little spy cams you can get from ebay. That's what I thought when I first saw it too lol. Then you realize those things can fly smoothly through considerably high winds, have crazy hd cameras which can zoom in and out in that small thing and are connected straight to a screen of a soldier who controls it...crazy to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 The reality is that if they're telling the general population about these devices they most likely have way more advanced technology than these that are classified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 "They're bringing their fracking TOYS to battle!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonny_Bohonos_14 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Strap a little explosives to that and you have a grenade with eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllEyezOnMe Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Strap a little explosives to that and you have a grenade with eyes. Lol HUNTER KILLER DRONE (black ops 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Honestly, all this technology is great and all, but who is America fighting that can even match anything close to this? It's really overkill after awhile. I mean they're fighting guys in the desert who are using soviet weapons from 40 years ago. Send in one attack helicopter and you can wipe out a whole army of "soldiers" over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dittohead Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Soon the enemy will hear a swarm of bees and then nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Ambien Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Anything to justify more military expenses. Good job for the Swedes in making this thing.. another import cost to be absorbed by the US, well, more like the people that keep lending them money to use military toys to screw with other parts of the world with but a fraction of the tech they wield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magikal Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I want to buy this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
key2thecup Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 A buckshot will take care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
key2thecup Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Honestly, all this technology is great and all, but who is America fighting that can even match anything close to this? It's really overkill after awhile. I mean they're fighting guys in the desert who are using soviet weapons from 40 years ago. Send in one attack helicopter and you can wipe out a whole army of "soldiers" over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broccoli Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Will hummingbirds try to mate with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 who is America fighting THE ENEMIES! (Quote on quote ) ...and just FYI the UK made that bad boy and I guess the US bought it off them for the sake of it lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Strangelove Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Honestly, all this technology is great and all, but who is America fighting that can even match anything close to this? It's really overkill after awhile. I mean they're fighting guys in the desert who are using soviet weapons from 40 years ago. Send in one attack helicopter and you can wipe out a whole army of "soldiers" over there. Trust me it's not overkill when your the one on the ground relying on this technology to get you home safe . Also it would be nice if we could just strafe the living daylights out of them but then we might also kill a bunch of non-combatants and then we're the evil baby killing Americans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pouria Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Trust me it's not overkill when your the one on the ground relying on this technology to get you home safe . Also it would be nice if we could just strafe the living daylights out of them but then we might also kill a bunch of non-combatants and then we're the evil baby killing Americans Don't worry, Americans have already done this many times where they have killed non-combatants or even Canadian soldiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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