Drone stations for maritime surveillance: Rift begins tests off the French coast

Off the French coast, the European company Rift is starting trials of a new surveillance system made up of autonomous drone stations. The plan is reconnaissance on demand, funded with 1.3 million euros: when sensors report suspicious activity, the drones are to take off by themselves and send live images within a few minutes. No personnel are needed on site.

Rift announced the series of real-world tests of its autonomous drone infrastructure at the Euronaval naval trade fair. The money, 1.3 million euros, comes from the state investment programme “France 2030”. The trials are to show how operationally ready remotely controlled drones are when they take off from automated ground stations and thus extend existing maritime surveillance systems.

Between detecting suspicious activity and clearly identifying it there is a gap that the concept is meant to close. A coastal radar can locate ships, but it does not always provide enough information about their type, cargo or activities. This is where Rift's drones come in.

Radar detects, drone launches

When a coastal radar or another sensor reports a suspicious object, a drone can be dispatched automatically from a nearby station. It is to reach the sea area in question within a few minutes. From there it transmits high-resolution daylight or thermal imagery to a central control centre.

The drone then stays over the target for an extended period. If the mission drags on, a second aircraft relieves it so that observation continues with as few gaps as possible.

The company names the fight against smuggling, fisheries monitoring, the detection of pollution, maritime security and search and rescue missions as areas of use.

A network of drone stations instead of patrol flights

Conventional patrol aircraft, helicopters or larger long-range drones are not Rift's approach. Instead, the company relies on a decentralised network of automated stations, each holding several aircraft ready to take off immediately when needed. This is intended to allow surveillance around the clock.

The entire network is controlled by RiftOS, the company's in-house software. It is used to manage all stations and drones centrally; no personnel are required at the individual sites.

Rift also takes a different approach to its business model. Users of the system do not have to buy their own drones or build up capacity for maintenance or operating staff, because the company sells aerial reconnaissance as a service. Customers are billed only for what they actually use.

France's coast as the next expansion area

A later expansion of the system is to build on the tests now announced. With the France 2030 funds, Rift above all wants to develop a standardised architecture for the autonomous stations so that they can be deployed at different locations.

The need is considerable: including its overseas territories, France has an extensive exclusive economic zone.