Australian company Arkeus has secured a major defence milestone, with its Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR) selected to support the Australian Army’s Wide Area Airborne Surveillance (WAAS) Program.
The announcement follows a competitive global tender process assessing advanced sensing technologies for integration into the Army’s Tactical Uncrewed Aerial Systems (TUAS). The selection of Arkeus’s hyperspectral system marks a significant step forward in enhancing the Army’s real-time surveillance and reconnaissance capability.
Developed under successive Australian Defence contracts, HSOR is a wide-area, real-time hyperspectral Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensor. It addresses key operational limitations found in traditional electro-optical and infrared systems by providing persistent detection and classification across complex and degraded environments.
The WAAS initiative, managed by the Land Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (LISREW) division within Army Headquarters, aims to improve wide-area ISR coverage and decision superiority. Integrating Arkeus’s HSOR technology will deliver enhanced situational awareness and operational reach for TUAS platforms, supporting critical reconnaissance, targeting, and manoeuvre operations.
Arkeus Chief Executive Officer Simon Olsen said the selection highlights the system’s performance in challenging operational settings.
“Our customer needs capability that delivers an effect across challenging and degraded visual environments,” Olsen said. “Throughout this process, HSOR has consistently demonstrated its ability to perform where conventional optical systems struggle. We are honoured to support the Australian Army in delivering a decisive ISR edge.”
The achievement builds on Arkeus’s international momentum, with the HSOR already being demonstrated in multiple operational contexts with the US Department of War.
Supported by Australian deep-tech investors Main Sequence, Salus Ventures, and Beaten Zone Ventures, Arkeus continues to expand its footprint as a homegrown leader in optical sensing innovation.
The company’s success with HSOR underscores Australia’s growing capacity to deliver sovereign, world-class sensing technologies for defence and space applications — strengthening both national security and allied capability.
