Teledyne to produce reconnaissance drones for Ukraine in new Norwegian order

Teledyne FLIR Defense, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has received an order from Norway‘s Ministry of Defense to produce 1,000 units of the Black Hornet 3 Personal Reconnaissance Systems.

These unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will be supplied to Ukraine, accompanied by additional resources such as spare parts, maintenance services, and training for Ukrainian operators and instructors.

The Norwegian MOD’s decision follows its donation of nearly 300 Black Hornet systems to Ukrainian forces through the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine last year. “Ukraine is very satisfied with previous Norwegian deliveries of this type of reconnaissance drone,” stated Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.

Norwegian Ministry of Defense orders 1,000 Black Hornet drones for Ukraine from Teledyne FLIR Defense. Photo courtesy of Business Wire.

Teledyne FLIR Defense, based in Norway, manufactures the award-winning Black Hornet 3. This lightweight, compact UAV measures less than seven inches and weighs less than 0.1 pounds, making it suitable for highly contested and GPS-denied environments. With a quiet operation and a flight time of up to 25 minutes, it provides live visible and thermal video to users.

Dr JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense, commented, “We are honored and proud to support Norway’s efforts to assist forces in Ukraine. The Black Hornet has proven to be game-changing technology that can help soldiers perform missions more safely and effectively.”

The Black Hornet drones are already operational with Ukrainian forces, courtesy of donations from the Norwegian and British governments last summer. Their performance has been successful in various operations under challenging conditions. Teledyne FLIR Defense has dispatched over 14,000 Black Hornet PRS systems to military and security forces across more than 40 nations. In the last five years, the US Army has made Black Hornet orders worth over $140 million, supporting its Soldier Borne Sensor program.