FLIR Systems wins $39.6 million nano drone order from U.S. Army

[January 24, 2019]  (Reuters) - U.S. defense contractor FLIR Systems Inc <FLIR.O> said on Thursday it had got a $39.6 million order for delivering nano drones to the U.S. Army.

The tiny surveillance drones, over six inches in length and with a flight time of up to 25 minutes, can be deployed by soldiers on the ground to identify threats beyond the line of sight, helping minimize collateral damage.

The contract is a significant milestone with the operational large-scale deployment of the drones for use by the U.S. Army, FLIR Chief Executive Officer Jim Cannon said.

The Black Hornet personal reconnaissance system drones have a range of 1.2 miles and will see deliveries begin in early 2019, the company said.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)

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