Spectre
Spectre is Hoverfly Technologies tethered unmanned aerial system for persistent ISR, communications relay and security missions. It receives power through a tether, allowing extended operation with radio, sensor and camera payloads in fixed-area deployments.
Facts
- Company: Hoverfly Technologies
- Product type: UAV
- Status: Tethered UAS
- Website: https://hoverflytech.com/tethered-drones-uas/spectre/
Market context
Spectre is a tether-powered UAS for persistent ISR, communications relay and payload integration.
- Target environment: Defence, public-safety, fixed-site security and mobile command environments needing persistent elevated sensors or radios.
- Workflow context: Tethered launch, continuous power, aerial sensing, network extension and payload support.
- Customer context: Defence operators, public-safety agencies, security teams and communications units.
- Deployment model: Commercial/fielded tethered UAS sold as a defence and public-safety system.
- Commercial maturity: Fielded system with Blue List certification, official specifications and integration use in exercises.
- Adoption constraints: Adoption depends on mobility needs, tether logistics, payload power draw, weather tolerance, support model and integration with command systems.
- Market position: Persistent tethered ISR and communications UAS.
- Adjacent products: Elistair Orion, Fotokite Sigma, Drone Aviation WASP
Workflow
Tethered launch, continuous power, aerial sensing, network extension and payload support.
Deployment environment
Defence, public-safety, fixed-site security and mobile command environments needing persistent elevated sensors or radios.
Specifications
- Endurance Profile: Continuous operation from tethered power
- Aircraft Class: Tethered UAS
- Maintenance Interval: 1500-hour maintenance interval
- Operating Altitude: 60 m / 200 ft operating altitude
- Weather Rating: Weather resistant; MIL-STD-810 feature indicated as coming soon on source page
- Wind Tolerance: 11.2 m/s / 25 mph sustained wind tolerance, 13.4 m/s / 30 mph gusts
- Control Interface: Ruggedized tablet, PC, ATAK, RaptorX and SDK control options
- Launch Recovery: Quick-attachment no-tool landing ring
- Tethered Power: Less than 2000 W continuous, 2400 W peak
- Setup Time: Less than 10 minutes from case to altitude
- Maintenance Model: Field replacement with a spares kit
- Payload Architecture: Payload-agnostic architecture for radios, sensors, cameras and other qualified payloads
- Radio Payloads: Qualified radio payload families include Silvus, Trellisware, Persistent Systems, L3Harris, Viasat and goTenna
- Camera Payloads: Camera payload examples include PTZS, Raptor, Microkestrel WAMI, HD25-LV, HD40-LV, CM102 and STAG-4
- Command Link: Command-and-control data transmitted over the tether with no RF emission
- Aircraft Weight Kg: 4.0 kg aircraft without payload; 32 kg base
- Payload Capacity Kg Range: 2.3-3.6 kg payload capacity, dependent on payload power consumption and environmental conditions
- Transport Kit Weight Kg: Two cases with total transport weight of 79 kg kg
- Sdk Access: full control; payload-only control; telemetry monitoring
Tags
- Peer Group: Tethered drone ISR systems
- Workflow: Defence surveillance mission systems, Persistent tethered surveillance, Defence UAV operations
Timeline / Research
- 2025-02-20 - Market Signal - Hoverfly Spectre added to DIU Blue UAS list - Hoverfly said its Spectre tethered drone was officially added to the DIU Blue UAS list. The designation reinforces Spectre's NDAA compliance pos…
- 2024-09-12 - Regulatory - Hoverfly Spectre receives AUVSI Green UAS certification - AUVSI granted Green UAS certification to Hoverfly Technologies' Spectre tethered UAS. The certification reviewed product security, remo…
Sources
- C:/Users/Alex/Downloads/Untitled - 07 April 2026 at 11.37.16 (12).png
Spectre canonical Korthos profile