FLANQ and CiS Partner to Launch and Recover Drones From Uncrewed Surface Vessels

FLANQ, a German provider of maritime defense solutions, and CiS, a developer of autonomous aerial systems, have announced a strategic partnership to jointly develop an integrated capability for launching and recovering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs).

This new collaboration follows successful open-water trials where a CiS Orka tactical air surveillance and reconnaissance drone was hosted, deployed, and recovered from a 12-foot FLANQ USV.

By combining FLANQ’s USV platforms and mission payloads with CiS’s long-endurance UAV systems, the partnership aims to create a scalable system designed for rapid-response surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering.

Daniel Esser, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of FLANQ, stated, “This partnership with CiS reinforces our commitment to delivering maritime domain advantage to Europe and its allies. Together, we are enabling a new level of operational flexibility and responsiveness through intelligent, aerial and uncrewed surface systems.”

The partnership’s key objectives include the development of integrated UAV launch-and-recovery systems for medium to large USV platforms, persistent over-the-horizon Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) using AI-based autonomy, and seamless interoperability with NATO maritime command-and-control frameworks. The system is also being developed to be deployment-ready for dynamic threat environments, including hybrid and grey-zone conflict scenarios.

According to Tom Kaufmann, Managing Partner and CEO at CiS, Europe’s maritime borders are facing increasing threats, from illicit trafficking to sabotage. He added, “Through our collaboration with FLANQ, we will deliver an agile, intelligent system that enhances situational awareness and supports decision-makers across the maritime security domain.”

The joint capabilities of the system are scheduled to be showcased at REMPUS 2025 in Portugal, an annual NATO-led military exercise where both companies are participating.