Attendees at the Avalon International Airshow in recent years may have noticed a Tethered Unmanned Aerial System (TeUAS) hovering over the staff compound, which appeared to be part of the Australian Defence Force presence at these events. Such systems can provide a persistent presence for surveillance, provision of communications, and sometimes both in the one platform. A relatively benign environment such as an airshow provides a method for evaluating the capabilities a TeUAS can provide, but what about a more realistic evaluation where there is more than just weather conditions to contend with?
Australia’s Talisman Sabre exercise currently underway would support a more realistic evaluation of TeUAS capabilities and ADM understands that this is, indeed, the case, as Maser Defence are supplying Hoverfly Technologies’ Sentry TeUAS for trials and evaluation during major ADF exercises in 2025.
Hoverfly’s TeUAS
Hoverfly offers the Spectre TeUAS which can carry up to 3.5kg of payload and supports multiple payload items, such as both a camera surveillance system and a communications relay. Their smaller offering is the Sentry which has been selected for the ADF’s trials, carrying a single payload of up to 2.3kg. This allows the unit to carry either a camera or a radio, but not both.
According to Hoverfly, both Spectre and Sentry provide up to 60m elevation above their base station, lifting their payload above the surrounding terrain to enhance communications range and awareness. Hoverfly has advised ADM that their TeUAS units are in use with the US Army and allied forces, operating in both fixed configuration such as at a command post, and mobile configuration which can include being operational while attached to a vehicle moving at under 20km/h. They have been integrated into various security and military C2 systems and their uses have included radio network extensions, mobile ISR, EW and targeting or call-for-fire missions.
The company claims that the units have 1,500-hour maintenance benchmarks and are supplied with field replaceable units, allowing them to operate in the field for some time with power supplied by a generator, vehicle, or mains connection. It said they are also easily transported and can be set up and operational within minutes of arrival at their intended location, as well as being integrated with other unmanned technologies through Hoverfly’s NEXUS networking solution.
Australian Presence
The engagement with the ADF represents Hoverfly’s first appearance in Australia and it is being represented by Maser Defence, who are qualified to offer training on the Spectre and Sentry for Australian clients. Maser Defence told ADM that the systems are easy to learn with non-specialist soldiers promptly passing the minimum training required to safely operate units. The company also said that while they provide support, manufacturing of the units and field repairable items is conducted in the USA.
Maser Defence indicated that there is interest in TeUAS capabilities from many parts of Defence in addition to opportunities for emergency services. As yet the company says it has not had any requests for the larger Spectre unit nor for the NEXUS system.
While both Hoverfly and Maser Defence were unable to provide additional details regarding the ADF’s trials of TeUAS during 2025, ADM understands that, rather than involving camera systems, the trials are likely to involve radio communications relays that can be elevated above the surrounding terrain in a faster, safer and more mobile manner compared to traditional pole-based antennae.