Teledyne FLIR Defense unveiled at Eurosatory, in Paris, the Black Recon, an autonomous microdrone system developed to operate integrated with military vehicles, fixed installations, and security platforms. The goal is to allow crews to launch, operate, recover, and recharge drones without leaving the vehicle, expanding their view of the terrain and reducing occupants’ exposure during high-risk missions.
The system was designed to work as a kind of onboard “aerial eye.” Instead of relying on an external team or an operator outside the vehicle, Black Recon can launch up to three micro-UAVs in rotation, ensuring near-continuous surveillance. While one drone is in flight, another can be recharging and a third ready to take over the mission.
This reflects a growing trend in the military vehicle sector: the integration of sensors, drones, and autonomous systems directly into land platforms. In practice, armored vehicles, tactical vehicles, and fixed posts gain their own aerial reconnaissance capability, something that can speed up decision-making in the field and improve crew protection.
Among the announced features are thermal and visible cameras for real-time imaging, operation in GPS-denied or jammed environments, visual-inertial navigation, and radio-silent missions without relying on radio-frequency links. Each drone weighs less than 450 grams, can fly for 50 to 60 minutes, and reach speeds of up to 25 m/s.
The drones are not simply launched and discarded. They return to the module installed on the vehicle, where they are captured, docked, and recharged automatically, making them ready for a new mission. This cycle allows aerial coverage to be maintained for longer periods, day or night.
The system is compact and designed to be installed as a module on the vehicle, creating a discreet reconnaissance solution capable of significantly extending the crew’s visual range.
It represents an evolution of portable reconnaissance drones. Instead of a soldier manually launching a small drone, the vehicle itself carries an automated “garage” for microdrones, with integrated takeoff, return, and recharging.
Although developed for military use, Black Recon can also be applied in public security, border patrol, critical infrastructure monitoring, maritime operations, and rapid-response missions in hard-to-access areas. Its modular architecture also allows for future mission payloads, such as CBRN sensors for detecting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
According to Teledyne FLIR Defense, Black Recon is already available for order, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
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Source and images: Teledyne FLIR Defense. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
