Teledyne FLIR Defense is showcasing a new technology concept at this week’s DSEI Defence and Security conference in London.

This system will allow crews to autonomously launch small UAVs operated from inside a military vehicle in order to perform Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) and then recover the system without ever having to leave the safety of the vehicle.

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According to the company, the Black Recon Vehicle Reconnaissance System (VRS) is a development program that features an entirely new micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed to withstand the rigors of travelling on infantry fighting vehicles. 

The system is built to provide continuous untethered reconnaissance at flight speeds that allow the UAV to work ahead of advancing vehicles, supplying valuable situational awareness even beyond line of sight.

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With its thermal and visual payload, Black Recon sends live imagery and targeting information back to vehicle crews. Operators can use the system for a wide range of missions, such as assessing if the terrain is passable, sweeping for mines and improvised explosive devices, or performing close-up inspections under bridges using onboard illumination. Specifically, the said system delivers high-precision RSTA capabilities and can carry out operations in GPS-denied environments.

Fitted inside a hardened launch box mounted to a vehicle, Black Recon’s deployment system can launch up to three UAVs during a mission. When one returns, a cradle-arm autonomously recovers the UAV using patented technology to precisely track, capture, and dock the UAV day or night, even in poor weather. UAVs are then automatically recharged for the next mission.

According to officials, Black Recon represents a new capability and a force multiplier for warfighters to take on near-peer adversaries, as the capability to launch and recover UAVs in seconds from a vehicle, without exposing the crew, will enable fighting units to maintain operational tempo and leverage the system when it’s needed most, that is, in dynamic, uncertain and complex environments.

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