Black Recon is designed for vehicle integration. It allows crews to launch, operate, recover and recharge up to three unmanned aerial systems without leaving their platform.
The company said this approach reduces risk for personnel and accelerates decision-making. The system is intended to support reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions while keeping operators protected inside the vehicle or installation.
“Black Recon represents a major step forward in integrated reconnaissance for ground forces,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne Defense and Aerospace Group and Senior Vice President of Teledyne Technologies. “By bringing autonomous launch, recovery, and recharging directly to the vehicle, we give operators persistent situational awareness, faster access to actionable intelligence, and greater protection in high-tempo missions.”
The system can autonomously launch, recover and recharge from the safety of the platform. It uses a three-UAV rotation to provide near-continuous overwatch.
Black Recon carries thermal and visible payloads for real-time imagery and targeting data. It is also designed to operate in Global Navigation Satellite System-denied environments using advanced sensors and visual navigation.
The system can conduct radio-silent missions using Visual Inertial Navigation without relying on radio-frequency links. It also includes onboard relay capability to extend range and radio coverage.
Teledyne FLIR Defense said Black Recon is compatible with the Black Hornet 4 nano-drone. The system can also support optional 100-gram mission modules for future lethality, sensor and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear payloads.
Black Recon is a compact, hardened system for vehicles or fixed installations. It deploys up to three micro-UAVs in rotation for persistent surveillance.
Each UAV launches autonomously, carries out its mission and returns to the launcher for capture, docking and recharging. The company said this provides uninterrupted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage by day or night.
Teledyne FLIR Defense said Black Recon was engineered for mounted platforms rather than adapted from legacy drones intended for dismounted use. The design enables immediate ISR deployment without external aviation support.
Each UAV has a flight time of 50 to 60 minutes and can reach speeds of up to 25 metres per second. The company said this extends surveillance beyond traditional engagement ranges and supports continuous target tracking, rapid threat detection and shorter decision cycles.
Each Black Recon UAV weighs less than 450 grams. The system combines low size, weight and power with advanced sensing derived from Teledyne FLIR Defense’s nano-UAS portfolio.
Autonomous navigation allows missions to continue in GPS-jammed or spoofed environments. The company said this supports operations in contested conditions where access to navigation signals may be degraded.
Although originally developed for military use, Black Recon’s architecture also supports public safety and security applications. These include remote first responder deployments for law enforcement, border and perimeter security, critical infrastructure monitoring and maritime or riverine patrols.
The system’s rugged, network-enabled design supports fixed and mobile deployment. Teledyne FLIR Defense said it can provide rapid situational awareness in remote and hard-to-reach environments.
Black Recon uses an open mission-module architecture intended to evolve with operational needs. Planned future modules include lethality payloads and CBRN detection sensors.
The company said these modules could expand the system from persistent reconnaissance to hazard detection and active engagement. Black Recon is available for order now, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
