Last month, troops from the New York National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, tested out new miniaturized drones at Fort Drum, New York, referred to as a soldier borne sensor (SBS), that allows for deployed soldiers to perform reconnaissance in the field.
‘[The Black Hornet] is designed to mitigate the risk to Soldiers by having the miniature drone complete dangerous work Soldiers would typically perform on their own. Its small size, only measuring a few inches, and low-noise capabilities make it nearly undetectable by enemy forces,’ the U.S. Army said in a blog post.
According to a press release announcing the contract last year, Norwegian company FLIR Defense described the drones as ‘weighing just 33 grams, nearly silent, and with a flight time up to 25 minutes, the combat-proven, pocket-sized Black Hornet PRS transmits live video and HD still images back to the operator. Well suited for operations in contested environments, the Black Hornet provides soldiers with immediate covert situational awareness to help them perform missions more safely and effectively.’
The defense contractor added: ‘Black Hornet drones are currently being used by Ukrainian forces through donations made by the British and Norwegian governments. This month, Norway’s Ministry of Defense ordered 1,000 more UAS systems. They have performed successfully in numerous operations under the harshest of environments. FLIR Defense has delivered more than 20,000 Black Hornet PRS systems to military and security forces in over 40 countries.’
[The SBS] is portable and lightweight, increasing the effectiveness of our operations. It’s designed to, instead of using us to do surveillance, it can do surveillance and reconnaissance and search for enemy fighting positions or friendly forces.It’s small and lightweight, and with how high it can go, you can’t really hear it. So, you can recon a lot of stuff, and the bad guys can’t see it.
Staff Sgt. Andy Huang, a combat engineer with the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, and native of Brooklyn, New York
Read more details about the miniature drone deployment here.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Me, being the pessimist that I am, saw this and thought, ‘wonderful, another tool for the military to spy and use against its own people.’
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
Lamentations 4:18-20
What’s your opinion on using Pure Bible search?
I’ve never heard of it. I use Sword Searcher personally.
You’re not a pessimist, Jacob – you’re a realist. Huge difference.
Appreciate your work. Love you, Brother!
Thanks. I usually just talk myself down a lot, as the world would certainly see me as a “pessimist,” so I just roll with it lol.
Spying on us today; shooting us tomorrow with some minute but deadly injections…