US troops in Afghanistan will soon test a tiny, pocket-sized drone in the field

Pvt. Kelsey Darnell, Co. B, 1st Bn., 508th PIR, 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., lets go of the air vehicle as it takes off during the systems fielding, May 2. Soldiers spent the week preparing for the flight exercise with classroom and hands on training.

The US Army will soon be equipping some units in the field with tiny personal drones, reports Stars & Stripes. The 1st Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment will begin using the devices next month in Afghanistan as the military works to figure out the best way to use them.

FLIR Systems has been testing the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System with a variety of units — the US Army began testing the drone back in 2016 and 2017, and the company picked up a trio of big contracts with the American, British, and French militaries this year. At the end of April, the 82nd Airborne’s 3rd Combat Brigade began training with the drones, playing out a variety of scenarios in which the devices could be...

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