Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1493095
Despite its compact size and unassuming appearance, the drone is fast and agile, and the operator or police officer may deploy this system without a whole team supporting the operation. The simplicity of func- tionally putting a portable optical sensor into use makes it possible to immediately assess the situation, at any stage or time during the opera- tional activities. The system, when packed, has the size of two rifle mag pouches. It consists of a base/docking station, controller, a 7-inch display, and two UAVs in optical configuration chosen by the operator - they may feature a thermal imaging sensor or a TV camera. The take-off weight of a sin- gle Black Hornet airframe is less than 33 grams. A complete system, with the controller, the display unit, and the base station weighs less than 1.3 kilograms. The system, hence, weighs less than a laser range finder, or a thermal imaging sensor. As any load carried by the soldier makes a difference when deployed in field conditions, and as the drone can be deployed up to 2,000 meters away from the area of interest, the matters here seem obvious. The use of an external antenna array extending the transmission-re- ception range, also extends the wor- kable range, taking into account the time calculations carried out by the system's software, regarding the safe return and landing of the UAV at a lo- cation designated by the operator. The daytime variant of the Black Hornet 3 system has been fitted with a system of two independent elec- tro-optical sensors, the coverage of which overlaps in the area where the imagery is recorded, also offering a digital zoom capability. The platform also allows the user to capture high- -resolution images, making it possi- ble to precisely identify and analyze the recorded IMINT. Considering the parameters and features of the sys- EQUIPMENT