Arkeus HSOR Selected by Australian Army for Wide-Area Airborne Surveillance in Indo-Pacific

Australia Selects Arkeus’ HSOR for Wide-Area Airborne Surveillance Programme

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 5, 2025 - : 8:06 pm

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In a significant move for sovereign defence innovation in the Indo-Pacific region, Australian defence technology company Arkeus has been selected to provide its flagship hyperspectral sensor, the HSOR (Hyperspectral Optical Radar), to the Australian Army under its Wide Area Airborne Surveillance (WAAS) programme. The announcement underlines Australia’s ongoing push to equip its tactical uncrewed aerial systems (TUAS) with cutting-edge sensing technologies and to deepen its defence industrial base.

According to the original source, Arkeus’s HSOR was chosen following a globally-competitive tender in which advanced sensing technologies from multiple international suppliers were evaluated. The system is slated for integration across the Army’s TUAS fleet to provide real-time wide-area intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) across degraded visual and complex environments.

The HSOR sensor, developed under successive Australian Defence contracts, is described as a wide-area, real-time hyperspectral ISR payload capable of detecting and classifying targets in challenging conditions where traditional electro-optical (EO) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) systems fall short. According to Arkeus, the system combines autonomous on-board processing and spectral imaging that can “cut through atmospheric limitations, haze and white-caps” to deliver target identification across land, littoral and maritime domains.

The WAAS initiative, managed by the Land Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance & Electronic Warfare (LISREW) division of Army Headquarters, aims to enhance wide-area ISR coverage and decision superiority for Australia’s land and maritime operations. Integration of the HSOR into TUAS platforms is expected to advance capabilities in reconnaissance, targeting and manoeuvre operations across the Indo-Pacific theatre.

This contract highlights the dual trend of Australia both boosting indigenous defence innovation and reinforcing regional ISR interoperability. As nations in the region grapple with contested maritime domains, complex littoral zones and emerging peer-threats, wide-area airborne surveillance systems become increasingly pivotal. The HSOR’s ability to operate day/night and across sea/land domains aligns with regional requirements for persistent multi-domain observation stretching from northern Australia through Southeast Asia and into the Pacific islands.

While the financial value of the contract has not been publicly disclosed, Arkeus’s rise as a deep-tech start-up supported by investors such as Main Sequence Ventures, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone Ventures underscores the growing importance of non-traditional defence suppliers in the region.

From a strategic lens, this deal reinforces Australia’s strategic alliance posture — equipping its force with advanced sensing that not only serves national defence but also interoperates with allied ISR frameworks. Given the precedent of HSOR being demonstrated in US contexts, there is the potential for the system to play a wider role in coalition operations and regional maritime domain awareness architectures.

Arkeus’s selection for the WAAS programme represents a notable milestone in Australia’s journey to field advanced hyperspectral sensing, reinforce its defence industrial ecosystem, and meet the evolving ISR demands of the Indo-Pacific region.