Teledyne FLIR Defense unveils Black Recon microdrone at Eurosatory

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Teledyne FLIR Defense has unveiled its new Black Recon microdrone, introduced during the latest Eurosatory defence exhibition in Paris. Zona Militar spoke with a company spokesperson to learn more about this new addition to the firm’s family of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Asked by Zona Militar whether the new drone already has customers, the company exclusively confirmed 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 carry out testing with the US Army later this year_”.

Black Recon has been developed specifically to be carried on board vehicles, giving ground platforms rapid aerial surveillance capability. The firm told Zona Militar that “the first flights took place last winter in Norway. It has been tested internally on a Ford Raptor vehicle”. (The system can also be used for monitoring military facilities.)

In a press release dated 15 June, the company explained that Black Recon enables crews to launch, operate, recover and recharge up to three unmanned aircraft systems without leaving the platform, lowering risk and speeding up decision-making.

Teledyne FLIR also stressed that the microdrone is intended for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) missions. After a sortie, the aircraft returns to the launcher for capture, docking and recharging. A single vehicle can command up to three Black Recon systems at the same time.

The company further noted that each Black Recon system comprises three microdrones, meaning “a single operator can control all three from a vehicle or a fixed site”. The spokesperson also outlined to Zona Militar how Teledyne FLIR envisages vehicle-borne troops employing the system: while one drone is out conducting a reconnaissance task, a second is coming back to the base station to recharge, and a third stays in the container ready for immediate launch. “In this way, the Black Recon platform provides persistent situational awareness 24 hours a day, seven days a week”, the company said.

The platform offers an endurance of 50 to 60 minutes, a top speed of 25 metres per second, and a weight of under 450 grams. According to the product specification sheet, Black Recon can be automatically launched in under 30 seconds and recovered in under 45 seconds. The microdrone has a range of up to six kilometres.

The system can be fitted with thermal and electro-optical sensors to deliver real-time imagery and targeting data. It is also able to operate in environments where signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are unavailable, using advanced sensors and visual navigation systems. Black Recon additionally supports optional 100-gram mission modules for future lethality options, specialised sensors and payloads for detecting CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) threats.

In addition, Black Recon is compatible with the Black Hornet 4 nano drone, also produced by the company. When Zona Militar asked about this feature, the firm 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 alongside Black Recon is that “both can be controlled in flight using the same common controller”.

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