German Firm Debuts Q-RECON Surface Drone for Maritime Surveillance

German maritime defense company FLANQ has unveiled Q-RECON, a compact uncrewed surface vessel (USV) built for coastal and near-shore missions.

Other operations include infrastructure monitoring and operations in areas with limited or unreliable satellite navigation.

Designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasks, Q-RECON features integrated navigation systems.

It also has a configurable payload bay and a lightweight structure.

Its hull is made of glass-reinforced plastic for durability at sea, while the 3D-printed deck and superstructure reduce weight and enable modular configuration.

Features

Q-RECON is a 2-meter-long (6.5 feet), two-person portable platform.

The system includes a 30-kilogram (66-pound) internal payload bay compatible with multiple sensor types, such as 360-degree night vision and multispectral cameras.

The USV can reach up to 30 knots (55.6 kilometers/34.5 miles per hour).

Navigation features include autopilot, GPS, inertial measurement units, and optional dead reckoning in GPS-denied environments.

Q-RECON uses FLANQ’s Q-KONTROL and Q-MIND systems to quickly adapt its sensors and plan missions on the spot, supporting flexible operations in the field.

Q-MIND software uses AI-based edge processing to support autonomous mission planning, vehicle control, and sensor data integration.

It also connects to a secure cloud infrastructure for remote data access, collaborative analysis, and processing of mission information.

Q-KONTROL is a modular hardware system developed for uncrewed maritime vehicles to streamline the integration and control of onboard sensors.

The system allows quick adaptation of payloads in the field, supporting mission flexibility in dynamic operational environments.