Revector has partnered with UK firm Cannon Dynamics to integrate its mobile phone location payload onto the Sword long-endurance drone for anti-poaching initiatives in Africa.
The collaboration combines Revector’s Detector technology, a cell site simulator designed for public safety and defense, with the Sword VTOL platform. This integrated system allows ranger teams to monitor remote areas for unusual mobile device activity, providing precise mapping and visualization to narrow down the location of potential poachers.
Traditionally, ground teams have struggled with the vast distances of remote habitats, often arriving too late to intervene. The new aerial capability provides regular intelligence updates on movements within poaching hotspots, allowing for rapid, targeted deployment.
The Sword UAV features a three-meter wingspan and a 200km range, available in both electric and fuel versions. Designed for long-duration surveillance, the platform utilizes a modular “hot-swap” payload system that supports high-resolution cameras, LiDAR, and thermal imagers alongside Revector’s IMSI catcher technology. Revector’s hardware is specifically engineered to be low-SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) and ultra-portable to ensure it does not interfere with the drone’s primary communication or GPS systems.
Ted Reddicliffe, Cannon Dynamics Chairman, commented, “The integration with Revector’s payload proved effortless and undertaken ahead of our proposed timescales. Cannon Dynamics VTOL platforms allow for easy and long endurance deployments, providing teams the ability to travel great distances to remote locations with ease. With Cannon Dynamics hot-swap payload capabilities and Revectors easy plug and play system, we look forward to seeing the results of this use case”
Shane Wilson, Revector CEO, said, “Arriving onsite to get our payload tested and in the air was extremely efficient, we know the Revector Detector is easy to integrate after heavily investing in development to ensure interference from our high wattage systems with the UAV comms and GPS is non-existent.
“The integration of our payload onto the Sword means the end user will have a significant advantage over the illegal poachers and criminals acting in remote locations. Sadly, thousands of endangered animals are illegally poached daily and Revector are humbled to join the fight alongside others who risk their lives to protect the wildlife in their natural habitat. Hopefully, we can work together by combining different technologies to assist in defeating the poaching industry.”
Based in the UK, Revector specializes in mobile phone surveillance solutions, including covert backpacks and vehicle units. By mounting these systems on the Sword drone, the end user gains a significant advantage in detecting illegal activity in real-time.
