The Tethered Drone Pictured at Fort Benning Has a Name: Meet Hoverfly Spectre

The tethered UAS pictured in coverage of the Army's recent ISV-U trials was Hoverfly Spectre: the first and only TeUAS on the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List

SANFORD, Fla., Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoverfly Technologies, the world's leading US-based tethered UAS provider, today confirmed its participation in recent U.S. Army Maneuver Battle Lab (MBL) field trials at Fort Benning, Georgia. Defense media outlets widely reported on the Army's evaluation of tethered drones integrated onto an Infantry Squad Vehicle-Utility (ISV-U) to extend line-of-sight communications and surveillance.

What those headlines didn't mention is the name behind the tethered drone featured in the imagery: Hoverfly Spectre TeUAS.

Industry commentators have framed the Fort Benning event as a test of an emerging concept. For Hoverfly, it was the next step in years of work. The trials built on more than 700 Hoverfly TeUAS fielded, five years of direct Soldier touch points, and numerous National Training Center rotations, each of which has shaped Spectre TeUAS into the system it is today. Fort Benning confirmed that work has produced a mature, combat-ready platform refined around the needs of the warfighter.

A FIELDED FORCE MULTIPLIER

When defense coverage leaves out the brand name, it can make an operational capability look like a prototype looking for a home. Hoverfly's tethered UAS technology defined the category, and it's been in the field for years.

• The Only TeUAS on the Blue List: Hoverfly Spectre is officially the first and only Tethered UAS platform cleared on the DCMA Blue UAS List and verified secure via AUVSI Green UAS.
• Official U.S. Army VHA-Heavy: Spectre TeUAS was selected to be the designated VHA-Heavy for PDM Nett Warrior FY25.
• 700+ TeUAS Systems Fielded: With over 700 systems delivered to the U.S. military and allied forces to date, Hoverfly platforms are already deployed worldwide for operating base security, battalion-level communications, and persistent ISR.

PROVEN AT FORT BENNING

During the two-week MBL evaluation at McKenna Field Landing Site, Soldiers, capability developers, the Air Robotics Dismounted Requirements Branch, and Product Lead Strategic Spectrum Warfare (PL SSW) put tethered UAS platforms, including Hoverfly Spectre, through rigorous tactical pacing.

Integrated directly onto the moving ISV-U, Hoverfly Spectre demonstrated dynamic "follow-mode," tracking smoothly above vehicles traversing complex, off-road terrain. Operating at altitudes up to 200 feet, Spectre TeUAS functioned as an airborne mobile sensor and radio relay node, extending command-and-control (C2) reach and situational awareness well beyond physical terrain limits while keeping pace with the maneuver unit.

BUILT FOR THE WARFIGHTER

Modern battlefields have zero tolerance for short flight times or vulnerable wireless links. Traditional battery-powered drones require battery swaps after 30 minutes or get jammed the moment the electronic spectrum gets hot, jeopardizing critical mission intelligence. Hoverfly Spectre was built to dominate in those exact environments.

By delivering continuous power and high-speed data through a physical tether, Spectre TeUAS eliminates flight-time limits entirely while producing zero RF emissions for command and control. In contested conditions like those replicated at Fort Benning, this secure physical link lets operators bypass active RF signal jamming, bounce communications over terrain obstacles, and track targets at extended ranges, without exposing the squad's position to electronic detection.

"In a matter of minutes, I was able to get [the drone] launched up in the air … and then it's a quick, easy one-step button to bring it back down," said Capt. Sarah Runion, MBL Live Experimentation Branch executive officer. "This has been a user-friendly experience."

"It's similar to a very high tower," added Mark Pagliaro, contractor for Product Lead Strategic Spectrum Warfare. "Having a sensor up that high in their area of operations is going to influence the maneuver unit and allow them to extend ranges and see targets farther."

THE LEADING TEUAS: SPECTRE

Hoverfly Spectre stands apart through several key operational capabilities required for modern multi-domain operations:

• Unmatched Persistence: Tether power delivers 24/7 airborne operations for persistent surveillance, targeting, and mobile mesh network extension without battery recovery cycles.
• Contested Environment Operation: Hardwired control and data transmission mitigates jamming, reduces RF signature, and protects tactical units in contested electronic warfare environments.
• Dynamic On-The-Move Mobility: Automated launch, landing, and dynamic follow-mode allow light maneuver platforms like the ISV-U to maintain continuous aerial coverage at tactical speeds.

WE ARE THE CONVERSATION

Hoverfly has shaped tethered drone requirements for years, turning theoretical technologies and critical mission needs into real fielded capability. With a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) supporting up to 8 lbs of flexible payload capacity, including EO/IR optics, tactical radios (MANET/MIMO), and Counter-UAS sensors, Hoverfly Spectre is already delivering force-multiplying aerial dominance to warfighters every single day.

Fort Benning is one more chapter in that story. Every system fielded, Soldier touch point, and training rotation shapes how Spectre is built, and as the Army refines tethered operations for light tactical vehicles, Hoverfly Spectre is ready to fly with them today.

SUMMARY

Recent news reports highlighted the U.S. Army Maneuver Battle Lab (MBL) testing tethered drones on the Infantry Squad Vehicle-Utility (ISV-U) at Fort Benning—including the battle-proven Hoverfly Spectre, the platform pictured in coverage of the trials.

Key Highlights:

• Setting the Record: Confirmed Hoverfly Spectre as the tethered drone pictured in coverage of recent Army ISV-U mobility and ISR trials at Fort Benning.
• Proven Track Record: Highlighted Hoverfly Spectre as the only tethered drone on the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List and over 700 Hoverfly TeUAS systems fielded across the U.S. military.
• On-The-Move Coverage: Validated dynamic "follow-mode" capabilities up to 200 feet above moving tactical vehicles, extending vision and mesh communications over terrain obstacles.
• Elevated Security: Highlighted physical tether data links that bypass RF jamming and maintain zero RF control signatures in contested EW environments.

About Hoverfly Technologies

Hoverfly Technologies is a leading provider of tethered drone systems for defense and security. As a Blue UAS Cleared manufacturer, Hoverfly's technology enables 24/7 situational awareness and secure communications in the most demanding combat environments.

SOURCE Hoverfly Technologies Inc.