A strategic collaboration between European drone specialist TEKEVER and Australian sensing pioneer ARKEUS has successfully demonstrated a powerful new intelligence capability. The companies have completed a joint integration and flight test campaign, confirming the full compatibility of TEKEVER’s AR3 EVO tactical unmanned aerial system (UAS) with ARKEUS’s cutting-edge Warden Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR).
This integration merges TEKEVER’s flexible, multi-mission AR3 EVO platform—a fixed-wing/VTOL hybrid capable of shipborne launch and recovery—with the Warden’s advanced material-based identification technology. The combination enables real-time, long-range detection, classification, and tracking of targets across maritime, littoral, and overland domains. Critically, the Warden HSOR’s hyperspectral imaging can reveal objects that are hidden or camouflaged from traditional electro-optical/infrared sensors, significantly enhancing situational awareness even in low-visibility, GPS-denied, or electromagnetically contested environments.
The AR3 EVO’s open, modular architecture facilitated the seamless integration of the payload. This partnership effectively delivers Group 4 UAS performance within a Group 3 platform’s size, weight, and power constraints. For operators, this means access to persistent, autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) with enhanced range and coverage from a tactically deployable system.
Officials from both companies highlighted the operational impact. Mark Baxter of TEKEVER stated the integration reflects a commitment to evolving capability through collaboration, delivering a “new level of situational awareness” in demanding environments. Simon Olsen, CEO of ARKEUS, emphasized that the Warden detects and identifies contacts “before they become a threat,” noting the speed of integration provides a critical immediate edge for defense and security customers in Europe.
