Nuevos Micro-UAVs del US Army tienen el tamaño de una paloma

New drones are the size of a bird, will help soldiers in urban combat situations

War is Boring |||  Andy Wolf 

The aerial reconnaissance tool of tomorrow is over half a foot long and weighs less than a pound- and it’s coming to the backpack of a soldier near you.

The FLIR Systems Black Hornet, an extremely quiet scout drone, is capable of speeds of 13 MPH and has a range of 1.25 miles.

While this doesn’t sound like much, the tight quarters of urban combat (which many believe will be the primary battlegrounds of the future) make such a device a godsend.

The Black Hornet sends real-time HD footage back to the operator, which allows troops to see where they are going before actually setting out on what might turn into an ambush.

FLIR Systems claims that the Black Hornet provides “modern warfighters with an easy to carry, truly pocket-sized solution they can deploy anywhere day or night for immediate covert situational awareness”.

Resembling a tiny helicopter, the Black Hornet is currently being tested by the U.S. and several allied partners, including the UK and Australia. According to News.com.au, France, Germany, India, Norway, and the Netherlands are also using the Black Hornet in their military forces.

The U.S. Army claims that each Black Hornet kit includes “the ground control system, which is composed of a base station with hand controller and display unit, and two air Vehicles (one day and one night). The display acts as the main hub for soldiers to interact with the system, while the air vehicles are small, highly maneuverable airborne sensors with low visual and audio signatures that support pre-planned and on-the-fly reconnaissance missions.”