The announcement follows successful trials of a CiS Orka tactical air surveillance and reconnaissance drone being hosted, deployed, and recovered aboard a 12-foot FLANQ USV operating autonomously in open water at an undisclosed test site.
By merging FLANQ’s proven USV platforms and mission payloads with CiS’s expertise in long-endurance UAV systems, the partnership will deliver a modular, scalable system-of-systems designed to provide rapid-response surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence-gathering capabilities, critical to strengthening Europe’s autonomous defense capabilities.
Key objectives of the partnership include:
- Development of a fully integrated UAV launch-and-recovery system from medium to large USV platforms
- Persistent over-the-horizon ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) enabled by AI-based mission autonomy
- Seamless interoperability with NATO maritime command-and-control frameworks
- Deployment-readiness for dynamic threat environments, including hybrid and grey-zone conflict scenarios
“This partnership with CiS reinforces our commitment to delivering maritime domain advantage to Europe and its allies,” said Daniel Esser, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of FLANQ. “Together, we are enabling a new level of operational flexibility and responsiveness through intelligent, aerial, and uncrewed surface systems.”
Tom Kaufmann, Managing Partner and CEO at CiS, added: “Europe’s maritime borders face increasing threats—from illicit trafficking to shadow fleet sabotage. Through our collaboration with FLANQ, we will deliver an agile, intelligent system that enhances situational awareness and supports decision-makers across the maritime security domain.”
The joint system’s capabilities will be showcased this month at REMPUS 2025 in Portugal, the annual NATO-led military exercise where both companies are participating.
