German maritime defense firm FLANQ and autonomous aerial systems developer CiS are developing a launch-and-recovery system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
The collaboration follows successful trials of a CiS Orka drone taking off from and returning to a 12-foot (3.6-meter) FLANQ USV during autonomous open-water operations.
The partnership will merge FLANQ’s surface vessel platforms and mission payloads with CiS’s long-endurance aerial systems, aiming to deliver a modular, scalable solution that expands intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across Europe’s maritime domain.
“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.”
NATO Integration
The system is designed to support persistent over-the-horizon ISR using AI-driven mission autonomy.
It also aims to ensure interoperability with NATO command-and-control frameworks and prepare for hybrid and gray-zone threat environments.
“Europe’s maritime borders face increasing threats — from illicit trafficking to shadow fleet sabotage,” said Tom Kaufmann, managing partner and CEO at CiS.
“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 will be showcased later this month at REMPUS 2025 in Portugal, NATO’s annual multinational maritime exercise.
