It is the size of a cigarette packet and it could provide soldiers of the future with battleground intelligence at the flick of a joy stick.

The PD-100 Black Hornet ‘nanocopter’ is a long way from the remote control whirlybirds favoured by anorak-wearing model aeroplane enthusiasts.

They do not accelerate and decelerate like normal helicopters and, worst of all, they cannot hover.

The helicopter can be carried in a pocket and launched within seconds to give immediate situational awareness,’ said Petter Muren, boss of manufacturers Prox Dynamics.

‘It will be valuable in situations where a closer look at a hostile area or inside a contaminated building is crucial.

‘We will be making military and civilian versions of the Black Hornet but it will be sold only to governments and their agencies.’

If anything were to happen to the aircraft whether due to flat batteries, a crash or even a rolled-up newspaper, no matter – several cheap replacements could easily be carried.

The standard package will come with three aircraft, a pocket controller and a charger.

Watch Microcopter in action