Autonomous Vessel & Tethered Drone System Demonstrates Open-Ocean Capability

ACUA Ocean and Teledyne FLIR Defense have completed a two-day sea trial demonstrating an integrated tethered Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) and Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) for the UK Ministry of Defence and offshore industry partners.

Funded by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), the trial validated the technical integration of Teledyne FLIR’s SkyCarrier autonomous launch platform with ACUA Ocean’s Pioneer modular payload architecture in open-ocean sea states.

During the demonstration, the SkyCarrier platform autonomously launched a SkyRanger R70 drone operated remotely from the Pioneer surface vessel. By utilizing a managed power and data tether, the system removes reliance on onboard battery endurance, enabling continuous aerial surveillance directly slaved to the vessel’s movement.

The combined platform addresses a critical operational gap identified by the Royal Navy and UK defence: the requirement for persistent, long-endurance multi-domain maritime awareness without placing personnel at risk in dull, dirty, or dangerous environments. Operating together, the surface vessel and aerial system extend surveillance from the waterline to altitude while maintaining multi-week ocean endurance.

Neil Tinmouth, CEO, ACUA Ocean, commented, “Securing UKDI funding for this demonstrator is a significant milestone for ACUA Ocean and for UK maritime autonomy more broadly. Integrating the SkyRanger R70 with the Pioneer creates something genuinely new: a persistent, deployable multi-domain ISR capability that the Royal Navy can put to sea today. Teledyne FLIR Defense bring a battle-proven, operator-trusted UAS to a platform that is built, certified and ready. We look forward to demonstrating what this system can do.”

The Pioneer surface vessel is the UK’s first Lloyd’s Register-certified remotely operated uncrewed vessel and has previously completed multiple Royal Navy intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare demonstration contracts. In previous performance testing, the vessel demonstrated seakeeping in 4.25-meter wave heights, achieving a 60 percent reduction in roll and a four-fold reduction in peak roll rates compared to monohull designs, providing the platform stability required for safe tethered drone operations.

The SkyRanger R70 drone utilizes multiple embedded NVIDIA processors to deliver real-time artificial intelligence capabilities at the edge, including object detection and classification, supported by four computer vision cameras for autonomous maneuvers. Its long-range, high-resolution stabilized electro-optical and infrared payload suite provides Group 2 performance within a Group 1 platform size. The housing SkyCarrier unit features a ruggedized container with an articulating launch and landing pad, allowing autonomous takeoff and recovery while the vessel is in motion.

Targeted at priority Royal Navy mission profiles, the integrated system is designed for anti-submarine warfare support, mine countermeasures, intelligence gathering, and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure ahead of potential commercial deployment at scale.

Richard Cunha, Principal Product Director Unmanned Aerial Systems, Teledyne FLIR Defense, added, “The SkyRanger R70 has earned its reputation in the most demanding operating environments in the world. Pairing it with the Pioneer Mk2’s exceptional sea-keeping capability and endurance opens up a new class of persistent maritime ISR mission that simply wasn’t possible before.”