Our tethered drone system against the Elistair Orion 2.2 TE, Fotokite Sigma and Hoverfly Spectre: endurance, wind and where the power comes from.
Persistent overhead surveillance is a crowded field, and three vendors publish very different endurance numbers because they mean different things by continuous. The buyer's job is to read past the headline hours and check wind tolerance, tether power and the battery reserve that lands the aircraft if the tether ever drops.
This is a fielded 21 kg quad co-axial system, not a concept. It holds station for 12 hours continuously on a 120 m extendable powered tether, in winds to 17 m/s, deploys in 10 minutes, and carries a 2 to 5 kg payload. The standard EO/IR gimbal streams a 30x full-HD day channel and a 640x480 LWIR thermal channel simultaneously. It keeps 10 to 12 minutes of battery reserve and lands itself automatically if tether power disconnects.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratTethered drone system | ElistairOrion 2.2 TE1France | FotokiteSigma2Switzerland | Hoverfly TechnologiesSpectre (2.0)34United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stated endurance123These endurance claims are not measured the same way. A tethered aircraft on ground power flies as long as the power runs; the honest limits are maintenance intervals, thermal duty and weather, which is where the numbers really differ. | 12 hours continuous on tether power | 50 hours of autonomous flight stated | 24 hours continuous (as long as the vehicle runs or is on shore power) | Continuous flight for hours, days and weeks stated; no single hour figure on the spec sheet |
| Tether length and altitude124Ours reaches higher than all three published figures here. Sensor height is often worth more than raw endurance for line-of-sight surveillance. | 120 m extendable powered tether | 100 m tether in a ruggedized aluminium station | Maximum height 45 m (150 ft) from the ground station | Operating altitude 60 m |
| Payload capacity124 | 2 to 5 kg | Up to 5 kg (11 lb) in heavy-lift mode; 1.5 kg in standard edition | Integrated sensor package; separate payload figure not published | Multi-payload platform; separate payload figure not published on the sheet |
| Standard imaging payload123Our 640x480 thermal is higher resolution than the Fotokite Sigma's 320x240 standard thermal. Elistair and Hoverfly leave the sensor choice open, which means the thermal figure depends on the payload you buy. | EO/IR gimbal: 30x full-HD day channel and 640x480 LWIR thermal, dual simultaneous feeds | Equipped with EO/IR sensors; resolution not stated on the leaflet | Thermal stream 320x240 at 27 fps; low-light RGB 1080p at 30 fps | EO/IR camera payloads offered (PTZS, Raptor, gimbal family); resolution varies by option |
| Wind resistance124Our published 17 m/s is higher than the Hoverfly Spectre's sustained 25 mph. Elistair and Fotokite do not publish an m/s figure, so ask for one before comparing. | 17 m/s | Not published on the leaflet | Rated to operate in rain, snow and wind; no m/s figure published | Sustained 25 mph (about 11 m/s), gusts 30 mph (about 13 m/s) |
| Power and winch124 | 400 V, 6,000 W winch with 20 kg load capacity, showing power, current, cable tension and tether length | Ground power station in a ruggedized aluminium case; wattage not stated on the leaflet | Runs on vehicle running power or shore power; wattage not published | Under 2,000 W continuous, 2,400 W peak, ground power via the tether |
| Loss-of-tether safety124We publish a specific reserve time and an auto-land behaviour if power drops. None of the three names a reserve figure, so confirm what happens the moment the tether fails. | 10 to 12 minutes of battery reserve, automatic landing if tether power disconnects | Automated flight; battery reserve figure not stated on the leaflet | Fully autonomous launch, flight and landing; reserve figure not published | Weather-resistant to MIL-STD-810; battery reserve figure not published on the sheet |
| Deployment time124 | 10 minutes | Turnkey two-case packout for rapid deploy; time not stated on the leaflet | Deploys with a single button push; no piloting needed | Rapid deployment and rapid collapse; time not stated on the sheet |
| Ingress protection and temperature124 | Operating range -10 C to +50 C | IP54, operating temperature -10 C to 45 C | Weather sealed carbon fiber and composites; operates in rain and snow | Weather resistant to MIL-STD-810 |
| Origin and export exposure123The Hoverfly Spectre is a US product and carries the re-export questions that follow US-origin defence hardware. Elistair explicitly markets the Orion as ITAR-free; ours is independent and non-aligned, so support does not route through a foreign export desk. | Independent, non-aligned origin, supplied and supported by one accountable team | France; Elistair states the Orion 2.2 TE is ITAR-free | Switzerland | United States |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Endurance numbers here are not measured the same way.
Elistair states 50 hours, Fotokite states 24 hours as long as the vehicle runs, we state 12 hours continuous, and Hoverfly states flight measured in hours, days and weeks with no single figure. Every one of these is a tethered aircraft on ground power, so in principle each flies as long as the power holds. The real limits are maintenance intervals, thermal duty and weather. Do not read the biggest headline hour count as the best aircraft; read what breaks the flight, and ask each vendor to state it.
Height, thermal resolution and wind are where the table separates.
Our 120 m tether reaches higher than the Orion's 100 m, the Sigma's 45 m and the Spectre's 60 m, and sensor height often buys more coverage than extra hours aloft. Our standard 640x480 thermal is sharper than the Sigma's 320x240 standard thermal, and our published 17 m/s wind tolerance is above the Spectre's sustained 25 mph. Elistair and Fotokite leave sensor and wind figures partly open, so a like-for-like check needs their numbers on the table before any comparison holds.
For a defence buyer, the loss-of-tether behaviour and the origin are the deciding rows.
A tethered aircraft's worst moment is the instant the tether fails. We publish a 10 to 12 minute battery reserve and an automatic landing on tether power loss; none of the three names a reserve figure, so that is a direct question to ask. On origin, the Spectre is a US product with the re-export questions that follow, Elistair markets the Orion as ITAR-free, and ours is independent and non-aligned. For a persistent surveillance asset that watches your own ground, keeping the system and its support outside another state's export terms is the structural advantage.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to an Elistair Orion or Hoverfly Spectre tethered drone?
Both are strong. Elistair states 50 hours of autonomous flight on a 100 m tether and markets the Orion 2.2 TE as ITAR-free; Hoverfly states continuous flight measured in hours to weeks on a 60 m tether from a US-made system. Ours holds station 12 hours continuously on a 120 m tether, tolerates wind to 17 m/s, carries a 2 to 5 kg payload with a 640x480 thermal gimbal, keeps a 10 to 12 minute battery reserve and lands itself if tether power drops, from an independent, non-aligned supplier. If you want higher sensor height and a stated loss-of-tether reserve without US re-export exposure, that is the reason to look at it.
How long can a tethered drone really stay up?
As long as the ground power holds, in principle, which is why the headline numbers vary so widely: Elistair states 50 hours, Fotokite states 24 hours while the vehicle runs, we state 12 hours continuous, and Hoverfly states hours to weeks. The real limits are maintenance intervals, thermal duty and weather, not a battery. Ask each vendor what actually ends the flight rather than comparing the headline hours.
Which tethered drone reaches the highest and handles the most wind?
Our 120 m tether is higher than the Elistair Orion's 100 m, the Fotokite Sigma's 45 m and the Hoverfly Spectre's 60 m, and our published wind tolerance of 17 m/s is above the Spectre's sustained 25 mph. Elistair and Fotokite do not publish a wind figure in m/s, so ask for one before comparing. For line-of-sight surveillance, the extra height is often worth more than extra endurance.
What happens if the tether power fails mid-flight?
Ours keeps 10 to 12 minutes of battery reserve and lands itself automatically if tether power disconnects. None of the three named competitors states a reserve figure on its published material, so this is a direct question to put to any tethered vendor: what does the aircraft do the instant the tether fails, and how long does it have to do it.
Is this a fielded system or a prototype?
Fielded. It is a 21 kg quad co-axial aircraft that holds station 12 hours continuously on a 120 m powered tether in winds to 17 m/s, deploys in 10 minutes, carries 2 to 5 kg with a 30x day and 640x480 thermal gimbal, and lands itself on tether power loss. The figures quoted here are the delivered specification.
Does supplier nationality matter for a persistent surveillance asset?
It does, because a tethered drone watches your own ground continuously and its imagery is a record of what you are protecting. The Hoverfly Spectre is US-made and carries the re-export questions that follow US-origin defence hardware; Elistair markets the Orion as ITAR-free. Ours is independent and non-aligned, so the system, its winch and its support do not depend on another state's export calendar.
Sources
- 1. Elistair, Orion 2.2 TE tethered UAS leafletRetrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the leaflet: 50 hours endurance, 100 m tether, up to 5 kg heavy-lift / 1.5 kg standard payload, EO/IR sensors, IP54, -10 to 45 C, stated ITAR-free.
- 2. Fotokite, Fotokite Sigma / Rooftop situational awareness systemRetrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor page specifications: 24 hours continuous flight, maximum height 45 m (150 ft), thermal 320x240 at 27 fps, low-light RGB 1080p, single-button deploy.
- 3. Hoverfly Technologies, Hoverfly Spectre tethered drone (product page)Retrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the vendor product page: continuous flight for hours, days, weeks; wind sustained 25 mph / gusts 30 mph; aircraft 4.0 kg / base 32 kg; EO/IR gimbal payload family.
- 4. Hoverfly Technologies (distributor-hosted), Spectre 2024 specification sheetRetrieved: 2026-08-15 · Read from the sheet: operating altitude 60 m, power under 2,000 W continuous / 2,400 W peak, weather resistant to MIL-STD-810, two-case transport 175 lb total.