Black Hornet 4
About
About Black Hornet 4
Black Hornet 4 is Teledyne FLIR's 70-gram nano unmanned aircraft for close-range reconnaissance by dismounted teams. It carries a high-resolution thermal imager and a low-light electro-optical camera, transmitting day or night observations while keeping the aircraft and operator footprint small. The Personal Reconnaissance System is intended for rapid squad-level use, with a complete system weight of about 1.3 kilograms and controls designed for operators who are not specialist pilots.
Teledyne FLIR states flight endurance above 30 minutes, range beyond 3 kilometres and operation in 25-knot wind plus gusts and rain. The fourth generation adds obstacle avoidance, a revised battery and resilience for GPS-denied or contested environments. Ground speed reaches 10 metres per second, and the PRS G3 system is described as MIL-STD-810H compliant. Actual range and endurance remain sensitive to link conditions, weather, route and sensor use, while export and end-use controls apply to individual configurations.
Supply
Supply / Components
- Black Hornet 4
Silicon Anode Battery Cells For UAS - Power Systems - Amprius Technologies - Amprius silicon-anode battery cells were designed into Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet 4 systems - source: ir.amprius.com
Source
Timeline
- Teledyne FLIR wins $17.5 million Swiss Black Hornet 4 contract
2026-02-02 - Commercial Order - Armasuisse selected a large number of Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems for the Swiss Armed Forces, with the contract covering dismounted use and integration into the Piranha 8x8 armored engineering-vehicle programme. The integration connects live video, target data and coordinates to vehicle displays and the Kongsberg Integrated Combat Solution, while operators can use the system from either dismounted or mobile positions. Vehicle-integrated systems had been delivered in 2025 and remaining systems were scheduled for 2026, so the record captures a contracted delivery programme rather than treating the full order as already fulfilled.
Source - Teledyne FLIR wins $15 million German Black Hornet 4 contract
2025-02-26 - Contract Award - The two-year agreement covers Black Hornet 4 systems, spare parts and training for Germany's armed forces, with European Logistic Partners serving as regional contractor for BAAINBw. The 70-gram Black Hornet 4 provides more than 30 minutes of flight time and a range beyond 2 km, combining a 12-megapixel daylight camera with thermal imaging. Teledyne FLIR also highlights obstacle avoidance and operation in rain and winds up to 25 knots, positioning the system as a soldier-carried reconnaissance capability.
Source
Context
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