The British Army took delivery of the first of its new ‘Bug’ nano drones at the end of last year, weighing in a just 196g (6.9 ounces) and able to fit in the palm of a soldier’s hand, these nano drones could be a real asset to British Armed Forces.
With their primary focus being reconnaissance, the nano drones can record and stream video back to troops from up to 2km (1.2 miles) away. Despite their size and weight, it’s claimed that the nano drones have a battery life of 40 minutes that covers flying, recording and streaming video back to the operator.
It’s been reported that during a recent Army Warfighting Experiment event hosted by the Ministry of Defence, this nano drone came out on top after being the only one that was able to handle “uncompromising weather”. According to BAE Systems, who alongside UAVTEK developed the ‘Bug’ nano drone, it can fly in strong winds of more than 50mph and thanks to it’s size, the Bug has a “stealthy low visual profile”.
The principal technologist at BAE Systems’ Applied Intelligence, James Gerard said “In even the toughest weather, the Bug can deliver vital tactical intelligence on what’s around the corner or over the next hill, working autonomously to give troops a visual update”.
An initial batch of 30 units has been delivered to the British Army. Some of the challenges that the drones may face in a combat situation have been emulated in a string of tests in order to push their abilities to the limit.