Article updated: 2/4/2013 7:17 AM

UK sends hand-held helicopter drones to war zone

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Sergeant Scott Weaver, of The Queens Royal Lancers launching a newly issued Black Hornet miniature surveillance helicopter during an operation in Afghanistan.

Associated Press

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Sergeant Scott Weaver, of The Queens Royal Lancers launching a newly issued Black Hornet miniature surveillance helicopter during an operation in Afghanistan.

Associated Press

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British soldiers in Afghanistan have been issued with surveillance drones so small they can fit in the palm of a squaddie's hand. The Scandinavian-designed Black Hornet Nano weighs as little as 16 grams (roughly half an ounce) — the same as a finch. The 4-inch -long helicopter is fitted with a tiny camera which relays still images and video to a remote terminal.