Autonomous Drones Harness Wind for ISR and Counter UAS

November 9, 2025

Windlift, a North Carolina-based startup, recently announced successful results from initial testing of a new autonomous tethered drone system that leverages winds aloft for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS).

Windlift's new "GUARD" system is a mobile platform that includes a launcher and a tethered drone equipped with a navigation system that autonomously leverages wind to maintain altitude and stability.

"GUARD is set to deliver performance far beyond what's possible today. Where most tethered drones struggle or fail in high winds, GUARD excels. As the wind increases, the GUARD platform, originally designed to harness the wind through complex flight patterns for airborne power generation, thrives," said Rob Creighton, Windlift Founder & CEO. "This breakthrough has been in the making for years, with technical oversight from the Naval Research Laboratory every step of the way. Initial testing marks a pivotal moment."

Creighton is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain how Windlift's autonomous tethered drone system leverages wind to power a wide variety of defense applications.

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