New Q-RECON maritime drone for coastal operations demonstrated in Germany
The German company FLANQ has presented its first unmanned surface vessel, Q-RECON, which is fully developed and manufactured in Europe.
Here's What We Know
The Q-RECON is a two-metre long unmanned vessel designed for operational intelligence, surveillance and interception missions. Its small size and weight allow personnel to deploy even in difficult conditions, and its internal compartment can carry up to 30 kg of payload.
The ship is equipped with advanced sensors, including 360-degree night vision cameras and multispectral cameras, for coastal missions. This makes the Q-RECON suitable not only for military tasks but also for infrastructure inspection and covert monitoring.
The drone is equipped with unique FLANQ proprietary vector jet engines, which provide it with exceptional manoeuvrability and a maximum speed of up to 30 knots. The vessel can operate autonomously, supporting navigation using autopilot, GPS, inertial IMU and alternative positioning in the absence of GNSS.
The Q-KONTROL and Q-MIND software provides autonomous route planning and instant real-time task adjustments, enabling Q-RECON to adapt to changes during missions.
According to FLANQ CTO Jannik Sauer, the entire process - from the idea to the first water tests - took approximately 120 days. This, he said, demonstrates the pace of innovation in the European defence sector and the ability to respond quickly to requirements for cost, portability and fully European production.
Source: FLANQ
