---
title: "The US Army Is Equipping Soldiers With Pocket-Sized Recon Drones"
description: "The U.S. Army has placed a $39 million order for tiny reconnaissance drones, small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket or palm."
date: "2019-02-03"
modified: "2019-02-03"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-army-pocket-sized-recon-drones"
categories:
  - "Drones"
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "army"
  - "drones"
  - "military"
  - "the digest"
---

# The US Army Is Equipping Soldiers With Pocket-Sized Recon Drones

![The U.S. Army has placed a $39 million order for tiny reconnaissance drones, small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket or palm.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/us-army-pocket-sized-recon-drones.png>)
*\<em\>Image: FLIR Systems\</em\>*

## Recon Drones

The U.S. Army has placed a $39 million order for tiny reconnaissance drones, small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket or palm.

The idea behind the drones, which are made by FLIR Systems and look like tiny menacing helicopters, is that soldiers will be able to send them into the sky of the battlefield in order to get a "lethal edge" during combat, [according to *Business Insider*](<https://www.businessinsider.com/us-soldiers-will-soon-receive-these-awesome-new-pocket-sized-drones-2019-2>).

## Battlefield View

FLIR Systems is currently delivering its "nano-unmanned aerial vehicles," which it calls Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance Systems, according to a [press release](<https://www.flir.com/news-center/press-releases/flir-systems-awarded-$39.6-million-contract-for-black-hornet-personal-reconnaissance-systems-for-us-army-soldier-borne-sensor-program/>) that says the Army is starting an "initial integration" of the drones.

"This contract represents a significant milestone with the operational large-scale deployment of nano-UAVs into the world’s most powerful Army," said Jim Cannon, the CEO of FLIR Systems, in the press release.

**READ MORE:** [US Army soldiers will soon be armed with these game-changing drones that fit in the palm of your hand](<https://www.businessinsider.com/us-soldiers-will-soon-receive-these-awesome-new-pocket-sized-drones-2019-2>) \[*Business Insider*\]

***More on drones:*** [These Tiny, Pocket-Sized Drones May be The Combat Robots of The Future](<https://futurism.com/these-tiny-pocket-sized-drones-may-be-the-combat-robots-of-the-future>)

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)