The U.S. Department of Defense has approved Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Black Hornet 4 for the Blue UAS List, following the completion of cybersecurity and NDAA compliance evaluations led by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). This designation grants the system an Authority to Operate across U.S. military and federal government agencies.
The Blue UAS initiative streamlines the adoption of vetted drone technologies for government use by assessing systems for security, reliability, and performance. Teledyne FLIR’s Black Hornet 4 was selected earlier this year during DIU’s “Blue UAS Refresh,” a competitive evaluation process involving over 35 uncrewed aerial systems.
Weighing just 70 grams, the Black Hornet 4 is a handheld reconnaissance drone designed for small unit operations. It features a 12-megapixel daylight camera and high-resolution thermal imager, offering real-time video and imagery in a compact, low-profile form factor.
The drone can operate for over 30 minutes and maintain functionality in challenging weather conditions, including rain and winds up to 25 knots. Obstacle avoidance and secure communications round out its battlefield utility.
With its addition to the Blue UAS List, the Black Hornet 4 becomes more accessible to military and federal users seeking secure, off-the-shelf nano-UAS capabilities.
Teledyne FLIR recently expanded its U.S.-based support infrastructure, opening a new 13,000-square-foot facility in Somerset, Kentucky to handle servicing, testing, and operator training for Black Hornet systems.
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