A drone-mounted signals intelligence system pinpointed drone operators and jammers from the air during a French military exercise in May 2026.
The SkyAgent 001 payload, developed by Sky Spy, flew aboard Evolve Dynamics’ Sky Mantis 2 rotary-wing UAS as part of France’s GALENE exercise conducted by the Cyber Defence Command. In an electromagnetic capture-the-flag scenario, the system detected, classified, and geolocated high-priority radio-frequency emitters including drone control stations, operators, and jamming equipment. Performance exceeded the range limits of ground-based receivers under the same contested conditions.
Lieutenant-colonel Élie Fontana, Head of the GCEM Unit at COMCYBER, stated the demonstration showed “clear operational potential for tactical spectrum awareness in modern military operations.” The results validated the platform’s ability to extend electronic warfare reach beyond line-of-sight restrictions that constrain static sensors.
The companies announced a formal partnership on May 29, 2026, to embed Sky Spy SIGINT capabilities across Evolve Dynamics’ full UAS portfolio. Chief Executive Tom Redman noted the collaboration merges “shared frontline experience from Ukraine with our expertise integrating new capabilities into UAS for modern operators.” Prior testing at a Kyiv facility had already confirmed the payload’s resilience against sophisticated electronic attack environments.
The SkyAgent 001 processes signals in real time, providing geolocation data that can cue kinetic or electronic countermeasure responses. Integration on rotary-wing platforms such as the Sky Mantis 2 allows persistent loiter over target areas while maintaining low acoustic and radar signatures. Military and security users gain the ability to map emitter networks without exposing ground teams to direct observation or fire.
Defense-Blog reporting on the exercise confirmed the system passed French electronic warfare evaluation criteria after its Ukraine-proven baseline. The partnership expands availability of the capability to additional airframes already in service with European and allied forces, supporting rapid fielding for spectrum-dominant operations.
