Elistair Introduces the Orion HL Tethered Drone for Tactical Communications

Elistair Announces Orion HL Tethered Drone for Tactical Communications

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Tethered drone system manufacturer Elistair has announced the launch of its Orion Heavy Lift (HL) in order to meet an increasing demand for variable height antennas from military, public safety and homeland security customers.

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As the fluctuating needs of ground operators cause tactical communications to advance, tethered drones grant major benefits in instances where flexibility and mobility are essential. With highly effective ground units requiring improved mobility, tethered drones allow for the establishment and extension of secured mobile networks due to their rapid deployment and long lasting flight times.

The Orion HL builds on the original Orion platform employed by military forces and security forces in more than 30 countries for ISR missions, and retains its level of automation, ruggedization and safety architecture. Easily transported and deployed, Orion HL is capable of bearing payloads of 4 kgs at 90 meters and 5 kgs at 50 meters height for up to 50 hours of flight.

“We have put the Orion 2 tethered UAV system, provided by Elistairs’ Norwegian partner Northcom, through several tests during the last year’s experiment to test its limits. During these tests, the system has proven to be a flexible and reliable solution capable of handling the challenging operational environment and conditions above the Arctic Circle in Norway,” said Experiment Manager “Tor” from the Norwegian Army Combined Arms Battle Laboratory. “The introduction of the Heavy Lift version also provides us with a very useful tool for lifting  communication equipment to create temporary communication coverage in challenging areas of operation.”

With the addition of Elistair’s new Payload Development Kit, partners are able to perfectly integrate their payloads and sensors, increasing the capabilities of the platform for the end-users. A beta-testing program with selected partners enabled the integration of a CORDIS Array II from Radionor, a 5G relay and a SIGINT payload.

First deliveries are expected by the end of May 2023.

Read more:

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• Elistairs Tethered Surveillance Drone Delivers Round-the-Clock Security
• Verizons Response Team Launches Tethered Drone to Restore Communications to Sanibel Island
• Zenith AeroTech Tethered Drones Delivered to Federal Law Enforcement: the Ultimate Overwatch Solution

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.