DSEI 2025: Danish RQ-35 Heidrun UAV delivers frontline intelligence with long endurance and EW resilience
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At DSEI 2025, Sky-Watch presented the RQ-35 Heidrun, a fixed-wing unmanned aerial system designed for low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The platform is tailored for operations in complex environments, emphasizing mobility, quick deployment, and simple recovery. Since 2022, it has been employed in combat by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, confirming its resilience in contested electromagnetic environments and its effectiveness in GPS-denied operations.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The RQ-35 Heidrun operates with a transmission range exceeding 45 kilometers, extendable up to 50 kilometers line-of-sight when paired with dual directional antennas. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The RQ-35 Heidrun operates with a transmission range exceeding 45 kilometers, extendable up to 50 kilometers line-of-sight when paired with dual directional antennas. It functions within the 2.2 to 2.5 GHz spectrum, supported by autonomous RF channel selection, beamforming, and automated encryption changes using up to four keys. Encryption includes AES-GCM 256 and ECDH-KAS standards. Transmission power starts at 0.1 Watt in normal mode but can autonomously boost up to 2×37 dBm. The UAV itself employs dipole antennas, while the ground station combines dipole and directional patch antennas to reinforce communication stability.
The airframe measures 1070 x 1650 x 170 millimeters in ready-to-fly condition, with a takeoff weight of 3.05 kilograms. The transport case version of the system weighs 24.7 kilograms excluding batteries, while the mobile backpack option weighs 15.7 kilograms. The aircraft is launched by hand and lands using a deep stall procedure, requiring an average landing area of 12.5 meters in radius. It withstands operational conditions from -20°C to 45°C, with a wind tolerance of 16 meters per second, a service ceiling of 5,000 meters, and a maximum landing altitude of 3,000 meters.
With flight endurance reaching up to 150 minutes, the system maintains a cruise speed of 16 meters per second. Fail-safes ensure continued security in case of lost telemetry link, low battery, or GNSS data loss. Its low visual and acoustic signature makes it well suited for missions where discretion is essential.
Payload options include electro-optical and thermal sensors mounted on stabilized gimbals. The triple-lens payload offers high-resolution EO capability at 1280 x 720 with zoom up to 80x, while the dual EO/IR payload combines an EO camera with 40x zoom and an uncooled LWIR thermal channel at 640 x 480 resolution, equipped with 4x digital zoom. Both configurations allow for extractable azimuth and pitch ranges to optimize coverage during surveillance tasks.
Ground control relies on rugged tablets running Windows, with user interfaces designed through operator feedback. The Sky-Watch Drone Manager supports single-tablet operation, while the Camera Controller enables dual-tablet setups. Control remains intuitive, ensuring one operator can manage the system effectively. Power is provided by a 14.8V, 14.8 Ah UAV battery, with charging options from 100-240 V AC or 10-50 V DC.
To support operators, Sky-Watch integrates dedicated field service and training. Engineers and specialists can deploy directly alongside users to assist with troubleshooting, upgrades, and system integration. Training programs cover safety, mission planning, system operation, and maintenance, ensuring operators reach full proficiency quickly.
The RQ-35 Heidrun is intended for missions requiring immediate situational awareness in environments where larger reconnaissance assets are impractical or too exposed. Its combination of extended flight time, electronic warfare resilience, compact transportability, and rapid deployment makes it a distinctive solution in the category of mini-UAS. Unlike many systems of similar size, it brings together long-range secure transmission, versatile payloads, and proven adaptability in conflict, positioning it as a unique platform designed to meet modern tactical intelligence requirements.
Written by Matt Delvoye – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition
Matt Delvoye holds degrees in political science from the University of Liège and the University of Brussels, with a specialization in international relations as well as defense and security policy. He works as a defense analyst at Army Recognition, where he covers international defense events and provides daily reporting on military equipment and industry developments.
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At DSEI 2025, Sky-Watch presented the RQ-35 Heidrun, a fixed-wing unmanned aerial system designed for low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The platform is tailored for operations in complex environments, emphasizing mobility, quick deployment, and simple recovery. Since 2022, it has been employed in combat by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, confirming its resilience in contested electromagnetic environments and its effectiveness in GPS-denied operations.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The RQ-35 Heidrun operates with a transmission range exceeding 45 kilometers, extendable up to 50 kilometers line-of-sight when paired with dual directional antennas. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The RQ-35 Heidrun operates with a transmission range exceeding 45 kilometers, extendable up to 50 kilometers line-of-sight when paired with dual directional antennas. It functions within the 2.2 to 2.5 GHz spectrum, supported by autonomous RF channel selection, beamforming, and automated encryption changes using up to four keys. Encryption includes AES-GCM 256 and ECDH-KAS standards. Transmission power starts at 0.1 Watt in normal mode but can autonomously boost up to 2×37 dBm. The UAV itself employs dipole antennas, while the ground station combines dipole and directional patch antennas to reinforce communication stability.
The airframe measures 1070 x 1650 x 170 millimeters in ready-to-fly condition, with a takeoff weight of 3.05 kilograms. The transport case version of the system weighs 24.7 kilograms excluding batteries, while the mobile backpack option weighs 15.7 kilograms. The aircraft is launched by hand and lands using a deep stall procedure, requiring an average landing area of 12.5 meters in radius. It withstands operational conditions from -20°C to 45°C, with a wind tolerance of 16 meters per second, a service ceiling of 5,000 meters, and a maximum landing altitude of 3,000 meters.
With flight endurance reaching up to 150 minutes, the system maintains a cruise speed of 16 meters per second. Fail-safes ensure continued security in case of lost telemetry link, low battery, or GNSS data loss. Its low visual and acoustic signature makes it well suited for missions where discretion is essential.
Payload options include electro-optical and thermal sensors mounted on stabilized gimbals. The triple-lens payload offers high-resolution EO capability at 1280 x 720 with zoom up to 80x, while the dual EO/IR payload combines an EO camera with 40x zoom and an uncooled LWIR thermal channel at 640 x 480 resolution, equipped with 4x digital zoom. Both configurations allow for extractable azimuth and pitch ranges to optimize coverage during surveillance tasks.
Ground control relies on rugged tablets running Windows, with user interfaces designed through operator feedback. The Sky-Watch Drone Manager supports single-tablet operation, while the Camera Controller enables dual-tablet setups. Control remains intuitive, ensuring one operator can manage the system effectively. Power is provided by a 14.8V, 14.8 Ah UAV battery, with charging options from 100-240 V AC or 10-50 V DC.
To support operators, Sky-Watch integrates dedicated field service and training. Engineers and specialists can deploy directly alongside users to assist with troubleshooting, upgrades, and system integration. Training programs cover safety, mission planning, system operation, and maintenance, ensuring operators reach full proficiency quickly.
The RQ-35 Heidrun is intended for missions requiring immediate situational awareness in environments where larger reconnaissance assets are impractical or too exposed. Its combination of extended flight time, electronic warfare resilience, compact transportability, and rapid deployment makes it a distinctive solution in the category of mini-UAS. Unlike many systems of similar size, it brings together long-range secure transmission, versatile payloads, and proven adaptability in conflict, positioning it as a unique platform designed to meet modern tactical intelligence requirements.
Written by Matt Delvoye – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition
Matt Delvoye holds degrees in political science from the University of Liège and the University of Brussels, with a specialization in international relations as well as defense and security policy. He works as a defense analyst at Army Recognition, where he covers international defense events and provides daily reporting on military equipment and industry developments.
