Army chiefs have unveiled a mini spy plane that is disguised as a hummingbird and can fly up to 11 miles an hour.
The pocket-sized drone, which has cost $4 million to develop, measures in at just 16 centimetres and weighs less than an AA battery.
The army is hoping to use the drone’s tiny camera to spy on enemy positions in war zones without arousing detection and eventually deploy it into both rural and urban environments.
The device is manufactured by AeroVironment, one of the world’s leading drone suppliers, which produces a number of different drones for the US Army.
In its early prototype stage, the drone managed a total flight time of just 20 seconds. This was two years ago.
Its latest flight lasted eight minutes and engineers expect longer flights as development continues.
Chris Fisher, Project Manager at AeroVironment explained: “It gives the guy on the ground the opportunity to see what’s on the other side of the hill. There’s only so much you can see with binoculars. A small [drone] can get up and go over the hill. That gives the ground soldier a capability that is huge.
“One of the things we benefit from is the average young person in the military has hours and hours of video games experience. They are attuned to holding these things in their hands; moving the joysticks around with their thumbs and that’s how our planes are flown. To an 18-year-old it’s extremely simple.”
Watch a YouTube video of the drone in action.
For related stories, read our articles, US Military explores idea of flying car, US Army Unveil Futuristic XM25 Rifles and Scientists create 'bullet-proof custard' for British troops
