PARIS—Elistair, which builds long-endurance, tethered unmanned aircraft systems, announced today the unveiling of Khronos, a fully automated tethered drone system designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in challenging environments.
Deployed from a transportable dronebox in under two minutes, KHRONOS can operate from both fixed and mobile platforms with minimal human input, enabling operators on the move their own “pocket watchtower” without a heavy investment in training.
“Khronos represents a significant milestone for Elistair,” said company CEO Guilhem de Marliave. “Public safety agencies, border patrol units, military forces and even vehicle integrators have all been looking for a simple, organic, long-endurance ISR asset that can be launched at the push of a button—and now they finally have it.”
Elistair has been developing and delivering tethered drones to customers in more than 70 countries for close to a decade. The 66-pound Khronos leverages that experience. It is easily deployed from a dronebox to deliver a continuous, day/night aerial view extending over a 10-kilometer radius for 24 hours a stretch.
In addition to being ruggedized for operation off-road and in poor weather, Khronos can operate in both GPS/GNSS-denied and RF-denied environments, thanks to its advanced positioning system and secured tethered communications. And with its small logistical footprint, and its open API, it can be easily integrated with vehicles.
“The aim behind Khronos was clear: we wanted to a tethered drone that’s straightforward to use, adaptable to various scenarios, integrates seamlessly, and is robust in construction for demanding environments,” said Elistair CTO Timothée Penet.
Powered by T-Planner 2, the newest version of Elistair mission software, Khronos benefits from the latest intelligent functions, such as target tracking, automated object categorization, and cued camera slewing to points of interests.
Elistair plans to deliver its first Khronos systems to customers in January 2024.
