Business

Australian start-up plans wider drone tests after Army purchase

Arkeus' memorandum with Drone Forge covers joint flights and demonstrations across the Asia-Pacific, but is not a contract and discloses no financial terms.

Arkeus Warden sensor mounted under an Integrator drone

Arkeus's Warden sensor fitted to an Integrator uncrewed aircraft. | Image: Arkeus

By Bushletter Newsroom · 15 October 2026

TLDR

Gold Coast start-up Arkeus has signed a memorandum of understanding with Drone Forge to fit its Warden hyperspectral optical radar to Drone Forge platforms across the Asia-Pacific. The agreement, signed 13 October 2026, covers joint flight operations and demonstrations but discloses no financial terms.

MOU follows first Army acquisition

Gold Coast defence start-up Arkeus signed a memorandum of understanding with autonomous systems integrator Drone Forge on 13 October 2026 to explore fitting its Warden hyperspectral optical radar to Drone Forge platforms across the Asia-Pacific region.^[1] The agreement covers joint flight operations and demonstrations but discloses no financial terms.

The MOU came days after the Australian Army confirmed its first acquisition of Warden systems. On 5 October 2026, Arkeus confirmed the Army had acquired the first tranche of Warden Hyperspectral Optical Radar systems for deployment on Integrator Uncrewed Aerial Systems under the Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System Program, delivered and sustained by Insitu Pacific.^[2]

What Warden does

Warden uses an edge-based ARK AI orchestration and data fusion engine built into the sensor itself to autonomously detect, classify, locate and track objects in real time across wide areas.^[2] Arkeus says it is built for land and littoral environments and does not rely on operators to interpret continuous data streams.

Simon Olsen, CEO and co-founder of Arkeus, said Warden combined advanced hyperspectral sensing with edge AI to detect, recognise and track targets across wide areas without relying on operators to interpret endless streams of data.^[1] Thomas Symes, founder of Drone Forge, said the priority had shifted to finding, identifying and tracking what matters, and delivering intelligence fast enough to act on it.^[1]

Arkeus background

Arkeus raised A$25 million in a Series A funding round on 15 May 2026, led by QIC Ventures with participation from R+ VC, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures, Main Sequence Ventures, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners.^[3] Two months later, on 8 July 2026, the Queensland Deputy Premier unveiled the company's advanced manufacturing facility in Ormeau, supported by A$1.48 million from the Sovereign Industry Development Fund.^[4]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Arkeus and Drone Forge signed an MOU on 13 October 2026 to integrate Warden sensors across Asia-Pacific drone platforms.

02No financial terms were disclosed; the agreement is an MOU, not a contract.

03The Australian Army acquired its first Warden systems for Integrator drones under the Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System program.

04Warden pairs hyperspectral optical sensing with onboard AI to detect, classify and track objects in real time.

05Arkeus raised A$25 million in a Series A led by QIC Ventures in May 2026.

SOURCES & CITATIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Arkeus and Drone Forge MOU about?

The two companies agreed on 13 October 2026 to explore fitting Arkeus' Warden hyperspectral optical radar to Drone Forge platforms across the Asia-Pacific region, including joint flight operations and demonstrations. No financial terms were disclosed.

Has the Australian Army bought Warden systems?

Yes. On 5 October 2026, the Australian Army acquired its first tranche of Warden Hyperspectral Optical Radar systems for Integrator drones under the Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System Program, with delivery and sustainment handled by Insitu Pacific.

What does the Warden sensor do?

Warden pairs hyperspectral optical sensing with an onboard AI engine called ARK to autonomously detect, classify, locate and track objects in real time across wide areas, without requiring operators to monitor continuous data streams.