Latest Black Hornet Enables Operation in GPS-Denied Areas
WILSONVILLE, Ore. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 5, 2018 — FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) today announced the Black Hornet® 3 nano-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for use by global militaries, government agencies, and first responders. The Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) is already the world’s smallest combat-proven nano-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and FLIR’s next generation Black Hornet 3 nano-UAV adds the ability to navigate in GPS-denied environments, enabling the warfighter to maintain situational awareness, threat detection, and surveillance no matter where the mission takes them.
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Australian Department of Defense using the new FLIR Black Hornet 3. Credit Australian Department of Defense
The Black Hornet PRS has been fielded by over 30 nations over the past seven years and continues to represent the cutting-edge in the combat nano-UAS space, enabling small combat units, SWAT teams, and first responders with immediately available intelligence, target-acquisition, and reconnaissance capability. At 32 grams, the Black Hornet 3 offers the lowest size, weight, and performance for UAS available. Offering improved speed and distance compared to previous versions, the Black Hornet 3 flies 2 kilometers at speeds of over 21 kilometers an hour. The Black Hornet 3 also incorporates sharper imaging processing featuring the FLIR Lepton® thermal microcamera core and a visible sensor to allow greater image fidelity. The design also features an improved encrypted military-approved digital datalink, enabling seamless communications and imagery significantly beyond line-of-sight and in closed areas.
Additionally, the Black Hornet 3 seamlessly integrates into the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) utilized by the military to provide battlefield networks and distribution of information to anyone on the network.
“We are excited to bring this advanced Black Hornet 3 to our warfighters and first responders,” said James Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR. “With longer range and indoor flight capabilities, the latest generation Black Hornet provides full surveillance coverage continuity to the mission. The Black Hornet 3 is representative of FLIR’s new focus on providing full-solution technology, and we look forward to playing a role in helping modernize our military customers.”
Last week, FLIR announced it had been awarded a $2.6 million order from the United States Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program to deliver the Black Hornet in a first batch order. Units delivered for the SBS program, in addition to units recently deployed by the Royal Australian Army and French Armed Forces, will be the Black Hornet 3.
The Black Hornet 3, which includes two UAV sensors, a controller, and display, is sold directly through FLIR and is available today to military, government agencies and law enforcement customers. The latest Black Hornet will be demonstrated at EUROSATORY 2018 in Paris, France from June 11 to 15 in the FLIR booth #A227. For more information about the Black Hornet 3, visit www.flir.com/blackhornet (U.S.) or www.flir.eu/blackhornet (Europe and Asia).
About FLIR Systems, Inc.
Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon, FLIR Systems is a world-leading maker of sensor systems that enhance perception and heighten awareness, helping to save lives, improve productivity, and protect the environment. Through its nearly 3,500 employees, FLIR's vision is to be "The World's Sixth Sense" by leveraging thermal imaging and adjacent technologies to provide innovative, intelligent solutions for security and surveillance, environmental and condition monitoring, outdoor recreation, machine vision, navigation, and advanced threat detection. For more information, please visit www.flir.com and follow @flir.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this release by Jim Cannon and the other statements
in this release about the contract and order described above are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current
expectations, estimates, and projections about FLIR's business based, in
part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not
guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties
that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results
may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such
forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including the
following: the ability to manufacture and deliver the systems referenced
in this release, changes in pricing of FLIR's products, changing demand
for FLIR's products, product mix, the impact of competitive products and
pricing, constraints on supplies of critical components, excess or
shortage of production capacity, the ability of FLIR to manufacture and
ship products in a timely manner, FLIR's continuing compliance
with U.S. export control laws and regulations, and other risks discussed
from time to time in FLIR's Securities and Exchange Commission filings
and reports. In addition, such statements could be affected by general
industry and market conditions and growth rates, and general domestic
and international economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements
speak only as of the date on which they are made and FLIR does not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to
reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release, or for
changes made to this document by wire services or Internet service
providers.
