TI-KR1 · Redeployable aerial sentry
Kestrel
An autonomous security drone that doesn't have to hover. Kestrel flies to high ground, anchors, and watches like a tower — then picks itself up and redeploys anywhere within 12 km.
Lift. Transit. Perch. Hold. Shift. Recover.
Six phases, fully autonomous, supervised by one operator. Every phase is logged and replayable in Meridian.
- PHASE 01 · T+0 s
Lift
Launches from a Roost, a vehicle bed or its last perch. Nine seconds from command to climb-out.
- PHASE 02 · T+40 s
Transit
Low-signature route planned around terrain masking and airspace volumes. Up to 22 m/s.
- PHASE 03 · T+66 s
Perch
Surveys the landing zone on approach, selects a perch and sets four anchor feet on slopes to 25°.
- PHASE 04 · 72 h
Hold
Rotors stow, the sensor mast rises. Radar and EO/IR hold a 340° arc on solar-assisted power.
- PHASE 05 · On cue
Shift
Relocates on a schedule, a detection, a battery threshold or an operator's command.
- PHASE 06 · 90 s
Recover
Returns to a Roost for an automated battery swap and is back on watch in ninety seconds.
02 — Engineering
A tower that folds into a backpack-sized airframe.
Most drones spend 90% of their energy staying in the air. Kestrel spends it watching. Perching cuts power draw by more than 95% compared with hovering, which is why one battery that flies 38 minutes keeps the sensor mast running for days.
- Four articulated anchor legs with terrain-sensing feet
- Telescoping sensor mast: EO/IR gimbal plus 360° solid-state radar
- Flexible solar skin for trickle charging while perched
- Mesh, LTE/5G and SATCOM links with automatic failover
- Tamper-sensing shell with self-relocation on disturbance
03 — Specifications
Kestrel KR-1
Published figures are for the Observe payload at ISA sea-level conditions. Full data sheets are released under NDA.
Request the data sheet- Max take-off weight
- 41 kg
- Footprint, perched
- 1.62 m
- Height, mast raised
- 1.94 m
- Transit speed
- 22 m/s (79 km/h)
- Flight endurance
- 38 min
- Perched endurance
- Up to 72 h
- Relocation radius
- 12 km
- Perch slope tolerance
- 25°
- Detection, person
- 1.2 km
- Detection, vehicle
- 3.1 km
- Detection, Class 1 UAS
- 1.8 km
- Wind, perched
- 55 km/h sustained · 80 km/h gust
- Operating temperature
- −30 °C to +50 °C
- Ingress protection
- IP67
- Comms
- Mesh · LTE/5G · SATCOM
- Command
- Meridian, on-prem or air-gapped
Four mission modules. One airframe.
Payloads swap in under five minutes in the field. Configurations are locked to each customer's legal authorities.
EO/IR + radar
Stabilized 30× optical and cooled thermal imager, paired with solid-state radar for detection beyond line of sight. Standard on every unit.
Light & voice
High-intensity strobe and floodlight, and a long-range acoustic voice channel. The most effective intervention is usually the one that makes people leave.
Comms extension
Turns a perched Kestrel into a mesh and LTE relay for teams operating beyond terrain or inside dense urban canyons.
Detect, track, cue
Detects and tracks small drones and cues authorized partner effectors. Any defeat action requires a human decision in Meridian.
Why not a tower or a drone dock?
Each approach has a place. Kestrel exists for sites where neither holds up.
| Kestrel KR-1 | Fixed camera tower | Drone-in-a-box | Guard post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time on watch per cycle | Up to 72 h | Continuous | 25–40 min | Shift-based |
| Can relocate | Yes, 12 km in minutes | No | Yes, then must return | Slowly |
| Elevated viewpoint | Chooses its own | Fixed | While airborne | Ground level |
| Predictable to an adversary | No | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| Install effort | None, flies in | Civil works & power | Dock power & network | Staffing |
06 — FAQ
Kestrel, answered.
How is Kestrel different from a drone-in-a-box?
A drone-in-a-box launches, flies a patrol and returns to charge — it is airborne for minutes and blind while docked. Kestrel flies to a vantage point and perches, so it watches for up to 72 hours per sortie and only flies when it needs to move. Read the full comparison.
What happens in high wind or icing?
Kestrel perches through sustained winds of 55 km/h and gusts to 80 km/h; it holds position anchored rather than fighting the wind in a hover. Meridian forecasts flight windows and repositions units ahead of weather when transit would be marginal.
Does Kestrel need a pilot?
No. Meridian plans transits and perches autonomously within approved airspace volumes. Operators supervise; they do not fly. Where regulation requires a remote pilot in command, Meridian supports one pilot supervising many units.
What payloads are available?
Observe (EO/IR and radar), Deter (high-intensity light and long-range acoustic voice), Relay (mesh and LTE extension) and Counter-UAS cueing for authorized partner systems. Defense customers can integrate government-furnished mission modules under human-authorization controls.
Can Kestrel be stolen or tampered with?
Each unit is tamper-sensing, cryptographically bound to its fleet and geofenced. A disturbed unit alerts Meridian, records the interaction and can lift off to a fallback perch.
Next step
See Kestrel perch on your terrain.
We fly live demonstrations at customer sites and at our test ranges in the United States and Europe.