Black Hornet 4 nano-drone selected for Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS Refresh program
NewsFebruary 18, 2025
BOSTON, Massachusetts. Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance System won a spot on the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS Refresh program, the company announced in a statement.
The DIU hosted the Blue UAS Refresh event at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, where more than 35 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) products were evaluated by military drone users, the statement reads. As a result of its selection, the Black Hornet 4 will undergo National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and cybersecurity verification to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO) and be added to the Blue UAS List, which identifies NDAA-compliant commercial drone systems approved for Department of Defense use, the company states.
The Black Hornet 4 is a lightweight nano-drone designed to provide covert situational awareness for small fighting units, the company says. Weighing 70 grams, it can operate for more than 30 minutes, fly beyond three kilometers, and function in high winds and rain. Equipped with a 12-megapixel daytime camera and a high-resolution thermal imager, the system is intended to support reconnaissance and target identification in GPS-denied environments.
Teledyne FLIR Defense has delivered over 33,000 Black Hornet drones to military and security forces in more than 45 countries, the company says. The U.S. Army has been acquiring the Black Hornet series since 2018 under the Soldier Borne Sensor program and has placed orders exceeding $300 million, including a $91 million contract for Black Hornet 4 in October 2024, the company states.
