Elistair joins the SMAUG European project, deploying its tethered drone on an autonomous vessel for continuous port surveillance.
Lyon, June 3rd 2025 – French company Elistair, specialized in tethered drones, has announced its participation in the European project SMAUG (Smart Maritime And Underwater Guardian). This collaborative program, funded by the European Union with nearly €6 million, brings together 21 partners from 7 countries around a common goal: strengthening surveillance and protection of sensitive port and maritime areas.
An innovative solution for enhanced maritime vigilance
Elistair will contribute to the project by integrating its latest-generation tethered drone aboard the consortium’s Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), creating a persistent airborne lookout over port zones. This innovative configuration enables the creation of a mobile aerial surveillance platform, capable of maintaining continuous visual coverage of port environments. Powered via a continuous electric cable and a secure data link from the vessel, the drone can remain airborne for several hours without interruption, while transmitting live, encrypted video feeds. This innovation will provide authorities with a permanent “eye in the sky” to autonomously detect suspicious activities in real time.
European ports are facing increasingly sophisticated methods of infiltration and maritime trafficking: stealth underwater vehicles, objects attached to hulls, undetected divers, and more. The SMAUG project aims to enhance underwater detection capabilities by combining five technologies: hydrophones, high-resolution sonar, swarms of underwater drones, hull scanners, and tethered drones. Data collected by these sensors will be analyzed using artificial intelligence modules to detect threats such as explosives or illegal cargo.
Meeting emerging maritime challenges
Port infrastructures today face growing technological challenges: detecting discreet intrusions, enabling night surveillance, increasing control over submerged areas and ship hulls.
The SMAUG project leverages a synergy of cutting-edge technologies to monitor these environments:
- Hydrophones
- High-resolution sonars
- Hull scanners
- Cooperative underwater drones
- Aerial tethered drones
Data gathered from these sensors will be analyzed by intelligent modules to detect anomalies or atypical behavior at an early stage.
“This strategic project for the protection of European port infrastructure reflects the trust placed in Elistair and its technology. It embodies our vision of robotics serving the safety of people and critical sites. Integrating a tethered drone on an autonomous vessel marks a major step forward, providing continuous, mobile, and preventive maritime surveillance to stay ahead of emerging threats,” explains Guilhem de Marliave, CEO of Elistair.
Initial tests carried out in May 2025 confirmed the successful deployment of Elistair’s tethered drone on a Maritime Robotics autonomous vessel in real-world conditions. This proof of concept validated the system’s performance under demanding maritime conditions, both stationary and in motion.
Following this success, the project partners are planning two large-scale demonstrations in 2025 and 2026 in the ports of Valencia (Spain) and Drammen (Norway).
A forward-looking European consortium
The success of SMAUG is built on a unique alliance of European expertise. Alongside Elistair and Indra (Spain), the project includes specialists in autonomous maritime robotics – such as Maritime Robotics (Norway) – as well as research centers, coast guards, and several port authorities across the continent. By uniting talents from seven countries, SMAUG showcases Europe’s ability to collectively innovate for its own security.
About Elistair Elistair is a leader in the design of tethered drones for persistent surveillance and tactical communications. The company’s products are deployed by armed forces, law enforcement, civil security agencies, and private security companies in over 70 countries for event protection, perimeter surveillance, border security, and the establishment of temporary communication networks. Elistair operates from France and North Carolina, USA. Visit our website: https://elistair.com