Elistair’s KHRONOS Tethered Drone Enhances SMAUG Port Surveillance in 2025

French company Elistair, specialized in tethered drones, has announced its participation in the European project SMAUG (Smart Maritime And Underwater Guardian). This collaborative program, funded by the European Union with nearly €6 million, brings together 21 partners from 7 countries around a common goal: strengthening surveillance and protection of sensitive port and maritime areas.

An innovative solution for enhanced maritime vigilance

Elistair will contribute to the project by integrating its latest-generation tethered drone aboard the consortium’s Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), creating a persistent airborne lookout over port zones.
This innovative configuration enables the creation of a mobile aerial surveillance platform, capable of
maintaining continuous visual coverage of port environments. Powered via a continuous electric cable
and a secure data link from the vessel, the drone can remain airborne for several hours without
interruption, while transmitting live, encrypted video feeds. This innovation will provide authorities
with a permanent “eye in the sky” to autonomously detect suspicious activities in real time.

European ports are facing increasingly sophisticated methods of infiltration and maritime trafficking:
stealth underwater vehicles, objects attached to hulls, undetected divers, and more. The SMAUG
project aims to enhance underwater detection capabilities by combining five technologies:
hydrophones, high-resolution sonar, swarms of underwater drones, hull scanners, and tethered
drones. Data collected by these sensors will be analyzed using artificial intelligence modules to detect
threats such as explosives or illegal cargo.

Meeting emerging maritime challenges

Port infrastructures today face growing technological challenges: detecting discreet intrusions,
enabling night surveillance, increasing control over submerged areas and ship hulls.

The SMAUG project leverages a synergy of cutting-edge technologies to monitor these environments:

• Hydrophones
• High-resolution sonars
• Hull scanners
• Cooperative underwater drones
• Aerial tethered drones

Data gathered from these sensors will be analyzed by intelligent modules to detect anomalies or
atypical behavior at an early stage.

“This strategic project for the protection of European port infrastructure reflects the trust placed in
Elistair and its technology. It embodies our vision of robotics serving the safety of people and critical
sites. Integrating a tethered drone on an autonomous vessel marks a major step forward, providing
continuous, mobile, and preventive maritime surveillance to stay ahead of emerging threats,” explains
Guilhem de Marliave, CEO of Elistair.

Initial tests carried out in May 2025 confirmed the successful deployment of Elistair’s tethered drone
on a Maritime Robotics autonomous vessel in real-world conditions. This proof of concept validated
the system’s performance under demanding maritime conditions, both stationary and in motion.

Following this success, the project partners are planning two large-scale demonstrations in 2025 and
2026 in the ports of Valencia (Spain) and Drammen (Norway).