The Ukrainian military will receive Black Hornet miniature surveillance helicopters.
According to a press release from the Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation, Norway and Great Britain are joining forces to acquire the Scandinavian-designed, tiny surveillance drone as a donation to Ukraine.
The official press release said the cost would be up to $9.2 million. The package includes PD-100 Black Hornet personal pocket-sized, stealthy nano-drones, spare parts, transportation and training. This will be financed by the British-led fund to which Norway has contributed $41.2 million.
Ukrainian authorities have asked for this type of equipment in the fight against the Russian invasion.
“The Norwegian-developed drone is a global market leader. It is used in several allied countries, including the United States and Great Britain. The drone is used for reconnaissance and target identification. It is easy to operate, robust, difficult to detect and particularly well suited for combat in urban areas,” Norway’s Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said.
The micro-drone will be acquired from Teledyne Flir, as a call-off on a framework agreement that The Norwegian Defence Material Agency has. Procurement, training and delivery of the material is done in collaboration with and coordinated by the British authorities.
The Scandinavian-designed Black Hornet Nano weighs as little as 16 grams (roughly half an ounce) – the same as a finch. The 4-inch (10-centimeter) -long helicopter is fitted with a tiny camera that relays still images and video to a remote terminal.
Close cooperation with the defense industry will be crucial to continued key deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine in the future. This cooperation also ensures that Ukraine has more modern and efficient weapons and systems.
“The donation marks that we stand by our commitment to continue supporting Ukraine, but it also entails a new direction for how Western countries support their fight. Until now, we and our allies have mostly donated from our own stocks”, Gram said.
An anti-drone system will also be purchased for approximately 100 million of the Norwegian funds for the fund. The system chosen is the anti-drone system Nightfighter from British 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
“Norway and the UK remain determined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine. These cutting-edge drones will help give Ukraine’s troops a vital advantage on the battlefield as they fight to defend their country against Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion,” UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.
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