Tekever secures EMSA agreement for AR5 UAS deployment

Image courtesy Tekever

The agreement spans an initial two-year period with potential extensions allowing for a total duration of up to four years. Under the terms of the contract, Tekever will supply two complete systems, with each comprising two UAS. These assets are intended to support simultaneous deployments across multiple regions, strengthening surveillance capacity throughout European waters.

At the centre of these operations is the Tekever AR5, a medium-altitude, long-endurance, fixed-wing UAS engineered for complex maritime environments. The platform is capable of flying Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) and offers an endurance of up to 12 hours in the specific configuration delivered to EMSA.

The AR5 supports a modular payload architecture designed to accommodate various mission requirements. Available options include Electro-Optical and Infrared (EO/IR) cameras, maritime radar, AIS receivers, high-capacity SATCOM and EPIRB antennas. Additionally, a newly available second gimbal facilitates automatic detection, enhancing the system’s AI-driven capabilities.

Operational since 2017, the AR5 has been deployed in missions across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and the Baltic States. Its capabilities are utilised by EMSA and national authorities for a wide spectrum of wide-area maritime surveillance missions. These include maritime domain situational awareness, fisheries control, law enforcement and environmental protection. Notably, the system also supports sea rescue operations featuring a life-raft release solution.

Nadia Maaref, Managing Director of Tekever France, commented: “With this contract, EMSA is once again placing its trust in Tekever’s proven technology. Our systems continue to support maritime surveillance, allowing authorities to improve situational awareness and deliver real-time intelligence where it matters most.”