US Army paratroopers with the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment will deploy to Afghanistan this month with "Black Hornet" reconnaissance drones.These drones are small, lightweight surveillance assets that are small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket or on a utility belt.Filling the short-range reconnaissance gap, these unmanned aerial systems offer increased situational awareness at the squad level, making these drones potential life-savers on the battlefield.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The three-year goal of putting a mini-drone in the hands of squad-level soldiers will finally see action in theater when "Fury" paratroopers with the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment take the "Black Hornet" miniature helicopter drone to Afghanistan this month. The drone capability was first requested by the Army to industry in early 2016when leaders at the Maneuver Center of Excellence sought a "pocket-sized drone" for low-level reconnaissance. "We've had numerous studies as well as experimentation within our battle labs. We continue to see that soldiers are kind of lacking at the squad level for relevant information that's immediately around them," Phil Cheatum, deputy branch chief of electronics and special developments at MCoE told Army Times in 2016. The gap was in short-range recon. Higher echelon units could and still do call up Gray Eagle or Shadow drones for situational awareness. But a squad of soldiers simply trying to see what's around the corner or over the next hill was left without a quickly deployable asset. "Using this system, Soldiers can understand their operational environment better so they can make better decisions and make these decisions quicker than ever," John Paul Kruszewski, lead engineer for the unmanned systems at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center said in an Army release. "It makes Soldiers more effective while reducing their tactical risk." Kruszewski described the drone as a pair of flying binoculars. "I was really impressed with the system, its capabilities, and what it offers Soldiers in terms of risk reduction," Sgt. Ryan Subers, drone operator, said in the same release. "This kind of technology will be a life-saver for us because it takes us out of harm's way while enhancing our ability to execute whatever combat mission we're on. I'm very grateful for technology like this and to be a part of the first unit to use it." The PD-100 Black Hornet was in use in Afghanistan by both British and Norwegian forces since at least 2012. Army testing at the Maneuver Battle Lab Expeditionary Warrior Experiments at Fort Benning began in 2015. The hurdle? Cost. Cheatum told Army Times back in 2016 that the Black Hornets were handmade, which made them pricey. The Army's first batch order for fielding came in 2018. The device weighs 18 grams, can shoot video and take photo snapshots. Older versions had an estimated 25 minute flight time at a dis
US paratroopers are headed to Afghanistan with these awesome drones that fit in their pockets
US Army paratroopers with the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment will deploy to Afghanistan this month with "Black Hornet" reconnaissance drones.These drones are small, lightweight surveillance assets that are small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket or on a utility belt.Filling the short-range reconnaissance gap, these unmanned aerial systems offer increased situational awareness at the squad level, making these drones potential life-savers on the battlefield.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The three-year goal of putting a mini-drone in the hands of squad-level soldiers will finally see action in theater when "Fury" paratroopers with the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment take the "Black Hornet" miniature helicopter drone to Afghanistan this month. The drone capability was first requested by the Army to industry in early 2016when leaders at the Maneuver Center of Excellence sought a "pocket-sized drone" for low-level reconnaissance. "We've had numerous studies as well as experimentation within our battle labs. We continue to see that soldiers are kind of lacking at the squad level for relevant information that's immediately around them," Phil Cheatum, deputy branch chief of electronics and special developments at MCoE told Army Times in 2016. The gap was in short-range recon. Higher echelon units could and still do call up Gray Eagle or Shadow drones for situational awareness. But a squad of soldiers simply trying to see what's around the corner or over the next hill was left without a quickly deployable asset. "Using this system, Soldiers can understand their operational environment better so they can make better decisions and make these decisions quicker than ever," John Paul Kruszewski, lead engineer for the unmanned systems at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center said in an Army release. "It makes Soldiers more effective while reducing their tactical risk." Kruszewski described the drone as a pair of flying binoculars. "I was really impressed with the system, its capabilities, and what it offers Soldiers in terms of risk reduction," Sgt. Ryan Subers, drone operator, said in the same release. "This kind of technology will be a life-saver for us because it takes us out of harm's way while enhancing our ability to execute whatever combat mission we're on. I'm very grateful for technology like this and to be a part of the first unit to use it." The PD-100 Black Hornet was in use in Afghanistan by both British and Norwegian forces since at least 2012. Army testing at the Maneuver Battle Lab Expeditionary Warrior Experiments at Fort Benning began in 2015. The hurdle? Cost. Cheatum told Army Times back in 2016 that the Black Hornets were handmade, which made them pricey. The Army's first batch order for fielding came in 2018. The device weighs 18 grams, can shoot video and take photo snapshots. Older versions had an estimated 25 minute flight time at a dis
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