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Elistair Khronos

Tethered drone system providing persistent aerial surveillance from a ship or vehicle.

Last refreshed: 18 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can a tethered drone give an uncrewed warship a persistent eye in the sky?

Timeline for Elistair Khronos

#7 15 Jul

Tethered drone flies from robot boat

Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea

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Background

Elistair Khronos is a tethered drone system from French manufacturer Elistair, flown from Exail's DriX O-16 uncrewed surface vessel during sea trials completed on 15 July 2026, alongside a Safran VIGY 4 electro-optical/infrared camera.

Kept aloft and powered through a cable rather than an onboard battery, a tethered drone can hold station for continuous surveillance FAR longer than a free-flying quadcopter, feeding a live video and sensor link back to whatever it is anchored to. Flying Khronos from an uncrewed hull rather than a crewed ship let the DriX O-16 demonstrate over-the-horizon surveillance directed without anyone aboard, a small but concrete step in extending persistent aerial watch to autonomous maritime platforms.

Common Questions

What is the Elistair Khronos?

The Elistair Khronos is a tethered drone system, powered and kept aloft via a cable, that provides continuous aerial surveillance from a ship or vehicle.Source: event

How was the Elistair Khronos tested at sea?

The Elistair Khronos completed sea trials on 15 July 2026 flown from Exail's DriX O-16 uncrewed surface vessel, alongside a Safran VIGY 4 camera.Source: event

Why fly a tethered drone from an uncrewed ship?

A tethered drone can hold station FAR longer than a free-flying one, letting an uncrewed vessel like the DriX O-16 maintain over-the-horizon surveillance without a crew aboard.Source: event