The war in Ukraine, day 182. The front lines are barely moving in what has largely become trench warfare. In basements and bombed-out streets, Ukrainian soldiers work furiously to find out where the enemy is hiding. A Norwegian factory is now producing what could be a paradigm shift in exactly that work: The small, buzzing drones called “Black Hornet” weigh barely more than 30 grams. Almost unnoticed, they can fly around corners and through cracks. In Norwegian, the name means “black wasp”. Norway is now joining forces with Great Britain to buy drones of this type to a value of up to NOK 90 million. BITTE LITEN: Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) shows off a Black Hornet drone. Photo: Mats Rønning / news To be used for surveillance – The drones are used for reconnaissance and surveillance, to get a better overview of the battlefield. This way you can save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, explains Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) to news. He says the drone has several advantages: – It is easy to operate, robust depending on the conditions, difficult to detect and particularly well suited for combat in urban areas. A Black Hornet with associated equipment is displayed during a defense fair in France in 2019. Photo: MEHDI FEDOUACH / AFP In addition to the drones themselves and associated equipment, Norway and the UK will contribute spare parts, transport and training. Gram says a drone system like the Black Hornet has been desired by the Ukrainian side for a long time. The purchase is financed by the British-led fund to which Norway has contributed NOK 400 million. It is the first time the fund has been used for anything. Black Hornet 3 Photo: Alexander Nordby / news The name means “black wasp” in English. Weighs 32 grams, with a base station of a little more than one kilogram. 10 centimeters long, and has rotor blades with a span of around 12 centimeters. Equipped with a camera for bright and dark environments. Has a range of around two kilometres, and a battery life of 25 minutes. Can fly in bad weather, and can withstand extreme cold and heat. The base station can be mounted on a vehicle or used hand-held. Communication takes place via an encrypted radio signal. – Does not go beyond Norwegian defense capability It is the first time that Norway supports Ukraine by going to the direct acquisition of weapons instead of taking them from stockpiles. – As we have taken from the stock we have, we must to a greater extent procure directly from the industry, says Defense Minister Gram. He believes that the donations to Ukraine do not exceed Norway’s defense capability. – Then there is an ongoing balance between what we can give away and what we must keep for our own safety, says Gram. – Is it now the case that we ourselves have to keep what ammunition and weapons we have in stock? – We have already sent a number of important contributions from our own holdings. What may possibly be considered to be donated by it in the future, I cannot comment on that now. We must return to that. INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news (UPDATED 23.08.2022) INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR AND AEI’S CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT / news (UPDATED 23.08.2022) Market leader The drones are of the “Black Hornet 3” type. The drone was initially developed and produced by the Norwegian company Prox Dynamics. They have production facilities at Eggemoen outside Hønefoss, and a development center in Asker. In these premises at Eggemoen in Hønefoss, the company Teledyne Flir produces nanodrones. In 2019, the company had around 200 employees. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news The company was acquired by American Flir UAS in 2017 for NOK 1.1 billion. In 2021, Flir itself was acquired by American Teledyne. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Black Hornet is the global market leader. It is used in over 40 countries, including the United States and Great Britain. The company does not want to comment on the matter to news now, says managing director Christian Fekete of FLIR Unmanned Aerial Systems AS Also buys anti-drone system for 100 million In addition to the drone purchase, 100 million of the Norwegian funds are to be used on British anti-drone systems. This system is of the Nightfighter type from the company SteelRock Technologies. A soldier holds a SteelRock Nightfighter anti-drone system. Photo: SteelRock Technologies “Steelrock Nightfighter is a portable system that provides protection against drones through effective jamming. The system is particularly suitable for protecting smaller patrols, artillery positions and other important resources,” says the press release from the Ministry of Defence.
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Buys Norwegian microdrones for Ukraine for 90 million – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
