FLANQ, the German-based maritime defence solutions provider, has today launched Q-RECON 8, its first European designed and built Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) for operations in the littoral domain.

Developed in response to an urgent operational requirement from a European customer, Q-RECON 8 is a lightweight, 2.4 metre long, two-man portable USV purpose-built for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical interdiction.

A 30 kg internal payload bay supports a range of sensors, including 360°-night vision and multi-spectral cameras, ideal for covert monitoring, infrastructure inspections and beach landing surveys. Q-RECON 8 delivers reliable performance and adaptability across a wide range naval mission scenarios, including single-use, making it a valuable asset for naval special forces.

Powered by dual FLANQ-designed vectored jet drives, Q-RECON 8 achieves agile manoeuvrability and burst speeds of up to 30 knots. Its navigational suite includes onboard autopilot, GPS, IMU, and optional dead-reckoning capability for operations in GNSS-denied environments.

At the core of its mission versatility is FLANQ’s proprietary Q-KONTROL and Q-MIND hardware and software stack, enabling simplified, in-theatre payload reconfiguration and autonomous route planning—critical for real-time adaptation during dynamic operations.

“Q-RECON 8 has gone from concept to in-water testing in around 120 days – testimony to the speed of innovation in the European defence sector at the demand for affordable maritime autonomous systems,” said Chief Technology Officer at FLANQ, Jannik Sauer. “Our customer came to us with a very specific feature list, including price and portability and 100% European content. Q-RECON 8 is our response to those challenges.”

Q-RECON 8 is making its industry debut at the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough, UK this week, where it will be on display on FLANQ’s stand, F24.

For more information on Q-RECON 8, click here