Rheinmetall is supplying Ukraine with automated wide-area reconnaissance systems under a contract set up by the German government, the company has announced.
The systems are primarily used for monitoring large expanses of terrain with as few personnel as possible. Rheinmetall is cooperating in the project with Estonian company DefSecIntel.
Known as SurveilSPIRE, the system consists of mobile surveillance towers with day and night cameras, remote mini-UAS and a control system, plus transport vehicles.
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Assembly requires three personnel and operation is fully automated. The system includes wireless links (4G and Starlink) for video transmission to a mobile command post, while solar panels allow sustained operation without power cables or a fuel source.
The autopiloted reconnaissance drones conduct patrols or mission-specific taskings. This enables inspection of detected threats and lets the operator initiate countermeasures.
The order is worth in the double-digit million-euro range according to Rheinmetall and deliveries have already commenced. No information was provided on the number of systems to be supplied.