British Army Deploys Micro-UAV, But Not Watchkeeper | Aviation International News

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

British Army Deploys Micro-UAV, But Not Watchkeeper

The British Army demonstrated its “nanocopter,” also known as the Black Hornet micro-UAV, on Salisbury Plain last week. (Photo: Chris Pocock)

By Chris Pocock • Defense Correspondent

February 22, 2013

The British Army is using what may be the world’s smallest UAV yet deployed on military operations. The Black Hornet “nanocopter” is eight inches long with a rotor diameter of about five inches and weighs less than two pounds. It can provide video and still imagery of difficult-to-reconnoitre targets such as walled compounds and even the interior of buildings. It was recently introduced in Afghanistan and demonstrated in public for the first time last week during a pre-deployment exercise on Salisbury Plain in the UK, for the next British Army task force to be sent there.

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