Photo: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph
The Telegraph has described the characteristics of the new microdrones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the UK called the Black Hornet RPS. The publication calls this drone revolutionary because it can silently enter houses and go unnoticed by the enemy to conduct reconnaissance a few meters from the enemy during urban battles.
Here are 3 interesting facts about the new weapon.
- 850 Black Hornet RPS microdrones will be delivered to Ukraine. These are Norwegian-made drones, as included in a new £54m aid package. The first version of the Black Hornet appeared in 2012. These were the most compact "bumblebees" of the three modifications developed over seven years. The device had a length of 10 cm and a weight of 17 g, but was not equipped with an infrared camera. The British Armed Forces paid £80,000 for each of the first modifications. The latest generation of Black Hornet drones is 7 cm longer and twice as heavy as the first model. Instead, they have twice the range and are capable of reconnaissance at night. And they are much stronger than previous models.
- Device kits are small. Its length is just under 16.8 cm, and the weighing device weighs only 32 grams. The range of the Black Hornet is 1.9 km, the maximum speed is 18 km per hour. The duration of the flight of the apparatus is 25 minutes. The drone can become an excellent assistant to scouts not only during the day, but also at night, because one of the three cameras that the device is equipped with is night vision. The data that captures the drone is displayed on the tablet screen as black-and-white video and high-definition images. The drone is controlled by a wireless remote control and a tablet with a 7-inch screen.
- The shipment of drones worth £8.5 million is a joint donation from the UK and Norway for the needs of Ukrainian defense. “This is a new approach of the Western allies to supplies. Until now, each country has made them mainly from its own stocks, â€said Norwegian Defense Minister Bern Arild Gramm. One of the German Aerospace Center experts calls the Norwegian miniature drones "the best on the market" and believes that their use in Ukraine will be a "game changer".
