Contact drones and loitered munitions have become indispensable in modern air-land combat, as demonstrated by the recent conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine and also in Mali during French Barkhane operation. They are used "in contact" with the enemy by units from all three environments (Land, Air, Sea) and Special Forces.
Very easy to use, Spy'Ranger systems can be flown at very short notice to provide intelligence support to contact units, while participating in artillery maneuvers.
Thales has developed interfaces enabling Spy'Ranger systems to be interoperable with command information systems such as ATAK - Delta Suite or fire control systems like the ATLAS system proposed by Thales
The challenge of high-intensity combat will be to be able to operate despite contested environments. Spy'Rangers know how to "survive" radio frequency jamming. They will also be able to survive and conduct operations in the event of GPS-type satellite signal jamming.
Thales as a world leader in optronics, image processing, artificial intelligence, cyber-security, safe and secure data links, warhead, command system, anti-jamming system, and anti-drone capabilities, surrounded by a network of high-level partners, SMEs, Start’ups or bigger companies, has the ability to unite all of these skills
Contact UAVs are decisive in protecting forces engaged in contact, who need to be illuminated, informed and supported.
Spy'Ranger mini and small drone systems developed by Thales open a new era in the collection of intelligence and confirms the crucial role of optronics in the collaborative combat of the future. Large tactical drones cannot provide the agility that combatants need on the front line to act without delay in rapidly changing combat scenarios.