Tethered Drones: A Solution for Continuous Surveillance Without Battery Limits

14/02/2026

Autonomy has historically been one of the main obstacles to the prolonged use of drones in surveillance and monitoring tasks. However, a technology that is rapidly gaining ground promises to change this paradigm: tethered drones. This solution enables continuous aerial operations for hours—or even days—eliminating dependence on traditional batteries.

What Are Tethered Drones?

Unlike conventional drones, tethered drones are physically connected to a ground station by an ultra-light cable. This cable serves a dual purpose: it supplies constant electrical power to the drone and ensures stable data transmission, such as high-definition video and telemetry.

Thanks to this permanent connection, the drone can remain hovering indefinitely, as long as the ground station continues operating.

Continuous Surveillance: A Key Advantage

The primary strength of tethered drones is their ability to provide uninterrupted surveillance. While a traditional drone must land every 20 to 30 minutes to recharge or swap batteries, a tethered drone can operate without interruption, making it an ideal tool for:

Perimeter security at critical facilities
Surveillance of large-scale events
Border and restricted-area protection
Monitoring infrastructure such as airports, ports, refineries, or power plants
Oversight of long-term construction sites and projects

This level of continuity is particularly valuable in environments where losing visibility—even for a few minutes—can pose operational or security risks.

Greater Stability and Operational Safety

In addition to unlimited endurance, the tether provides another important benefit: enhanced stability and control. The physical connection reduces the risk of losing the drone due to communication failures, interference, or battery depletion. In many systems, the drone can automatically descend if an anomaly is detected, further increasing operational safety.

This configuration also helps meet stricter aviation regulations, as the drone is physically limited in both height and distance, reducing the risk of uncontrolled departures from the permitted airspace.

Limitations to Consider

Despite their advantages, tethered drones are not designed for every mission. Their main limitation is mobility: the operational radius is restricted by the length of the cable and the location of the ground station. Therefore, they are not suitable for extensive mobile inspections or exploration missions.

Additionally, they require prior planning regarding terrain and anchoring points, as well as protection of the ground system against adverse weather conditions.

A Growing Market

With increasing demand for intelligent security solutions and permanent monitoring, tethered drones are experiencing notable growth. Security companies, law enforcement agencies, and industrial operators view them as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to fixed surveillance towers or constant patrols.

The combination of unlimited endurance, stable transmission, and enhanced operational safety positions this technology as one of the most promising within the professional drone ecosystem.

Conclusion

Tethered drones represent a strategic evolution in the use of unmanned aircraft for continuous surveillance. By eliminating battery limitations and enabling stable 24/7 operation, they are becoming a highly effective solution for environments where constant oversight is not an option, but a necessity.