Defense

Secure, persistent, and autonomous tethered UAV systems for mission-critical situational awareness in defense operations.
The Tethered Advantage
EW-Resilient Architecture

Wired data line provides zero RF tracking. Completely immune to jamming and GPS spoofing.

True 24/7 Persistence

Wired data line provides zero RF tracking. Completely immune to jamming and GPS spoofing.

Push-Button Autonomy

Immediate launch and land capabilities with zero piloting skills or cognitive load required.

 Mission-Specific Use Cases
OpSec & C2: Variable Height Antenna (VHA) & Comms Relay

Bypass line-of-sight limitations and severe terrain masking instantly. By elevating a tactical mesh radio payload, Fotokite acts as a highly resilient, micro-tethered relay that bridges critical communication gaps across rugged environments.

 

  • 20km Range Extension: Drastically expands tactical line-of-sight and MANET throughput. 
  • Agnostic Integration: Elevates standard military mesh radios, antennas, and secure communication nodes seamlessly.
OpSec & C2: 24/7 Force Protection & Base Security

Replace heavy, slow-to-deploy physical masts with a rapid-deployment aerial overwatch. Deliver continuous, round-the-clock EO/IR thermal coverage along your perimeter to ensure early warning detection and combat outpost security without pilot fatigue.

 

  • C2 Software Integration: Native, live-streaming directly into tactical software ecosystems like ATAK and C-TAK. 
  • Continuous Vigilance: Automated target tracking overlays and rapid perimeter breach alerts.
OpSec & C2: EW-Resilient & Secure ISR

Operate securely in contested environments where electronic warfare is highly active. Because power and data flow directly through a physical, hardened tether, your aerial feed remains completely immune to RF jamming, GPS spoofing, and localized adversarial geolocation tracking.

 

  • Zero RF Footprint: Emits absolutely no control RF signature, preventing adversarial detection and targeting.
  • Hardened Command Link: Direct-wired, tamper-proof video and telemetry transmission
Mobile Ops: Convoy & Mobile Overwatch

Secure your route while traversing high-threat areas. Fotokite deploys and flies 45M high while tethered to a vehicle, providing continuous route clearance, structural check-ins, and early ambush detection from an elevated vantage point.

 

  • Delivers real-time route clearance telemetry directly to vehicle command monitors inside the cabin
  • Untrackable RF signature, un-jammable command link.
Mobile Ops: Border & Maritime Security

Extends the horizon further than shipboard/vehicle-mounted cameras. Long-endurance monitoring of vast border stretches and maritime zones. Quick deployment from ground vehicles or vessels.

 

  • All-Weather Ruggedization: Full IP55-rated sealing against rain, snow, and salt-heavy marine environments. 
  • Aerodynamic Stability: Engineered to withstand high coastal winds without loss of situational awareness.
Specialized: CBRN Operations

Keep your operators out of the hot zone while establishing immediate situational awareness. By lifting specialized chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threat-detection sensors, commanders can monitor toxic plumes and hazardous materials from a safe, persistent distance.

 

  • Zero Decontamination Risk: Keeps operators and ground hardware safely separated from the dispersion path. 
  • Continuous Plume Tracking: Persistent altitude allows for real-time, uninterrupted tracking of gas or particulate drift.
Validated on the Front Lines
United States Department of State
United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Air National Guard
United States Department of Justice
United States Army
United States Air Force
United States Department of Energy
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
United States Secret Service
Armasuisse
Mexico National Guard
France Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
United States Pentagon Force Protection Agency
Integrate with ease
With Fotokite API you can integrate Fotokite into your tactical environment.

The Fotokite API is a software interface that allows external applications or systems to interact with the Fotokite system in a programmatic way. It exposes the core capabilities of the Fotokite but in a form that enables integration, automation or remote control by other software.

Would you like to know more about use cases?
Get in touch with our industry experts to learn more about how Fotokite can help in your operations.