Unmanned surface vessel payloads tested by Exail
NewsJuly 02, 2026
LA CIOTAT, France. Exail completed sea trials validating the integration of third-party payloads on its DriX O-16 unmanned surface vessel (USV), the company announced in a statement.
The trials included an Elistair Khronos tethered drone system and a Safran VIGY 4 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) observation camera, the statement reads. The demonstration was intended to show how the DriX O-16 can support mission-specific payloads for maritime security, surveillance, and intelligence missions, the company says.
The tethered drone operated from the moving USV and provided aerial surveillance while receiving power and transmitting data through its tether, according to Exail. The drone was equipped with an EO/IR stabilized camera intended to support detection, recognition, and identification at range, the company says.
The Safran VIGY 4 EO/IR system added visible, mid-wave infrared, and short-wave infrared imaging for day and night operations, the statement adds.
During the trials, the DriX O-16 and its payloads were operated from Exail’s Remote Operations Center in La Ciotat, France, according to the company. Exail says the USV is designed with onboard power, software architecture, and deck space to support payload changes for different maritime missions.
