ASCUS Facts
Technology combination
UAVs and Satellites
Experimental Operations
2028 Planned
Development time
24+ months
Problem statement
Modern battlefields are increasingly characterized by electronic warfare, including GNSS jamming, spoofing, and disruption of standard radio communications.
Conventional UAV systems remain highly dependent on continuous links to ground infrastructure and operator control, significantly limiting their operational reliability and survivability in contested environments.
ASCUS directly addresses this challenge by enabling autonomous, cooperative UAV operations with a satellite-based fallback communication layer, ensuring mission continuity even under extreme conditions.
Three tightly integrated pillars
The ASCUS system is built on three tightly integrated technical pillars:
- Autonomous swarm software: Enables UAVs to operate cooperatively as a swarm, share sensor data, reassign tasks, and adapt to changing conditions without continuous operator input.
- Dedicated satellite communication link: Provides a resilient beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) channel between UAVs and the operator when terrestrial communications fail or are intentionally jammed. In critical scenarios, UAVs can autonomously reposition (e.g. climb to altitude) to transmit mission-critical data via satellite before loss or destruction.
- Mission-level operator interface: A unified software environment for mission planning, real-time supervision, task reconfiguration, and post-mission analysis — fully operable even when satellite communication is the only available link.
Military relevance and interoperability
The system is developed in close cooperation with the Czech Armed Forces (AČR), which actively contribute operational requirements and use-case validation from the outset.
ASCUS is designed to be compatible with AČR systems and NATO standards, supporting future integration into allied operational frameworks.
Dual-use and commercial potential
While ASCUS is driven by defence requirements, its architecture has clear dual-use potential. Miniaturised satellite-to-UAV communication, autonomous coordination, and resilient command-and-control open new possibilities for:
- Critical infrastructure protection
- Border surveillance
- Disaster response in communication-denied areas
- Remote industrial operations
The project represents a globally scalable technology, with relevance far beyond national defence applications.
Questions and Downloads
What capabilities will ASCUS deliver by 2028?
By 2028, ASCUS will demonstrate a fully integrated system consisting of one communication satellite and an operational ecosystem of three UAV types: a reconnaissance VTOL drone, an FPV attack drone, and a logistics drone. Together, they will validate autonomous swarm operation and resilient satellite-based communication in GNSS-denied and electronically contested environments.
Who is behind the ASCUS project?
ASCUS is developed by a consortium led by TRL Space, in close cooperation with TRL Drones and Brno University of Technology (VUT). The project is supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TAČR) and the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, with active involvement of the Czech Armed Forces, which define operational requirements and validate the system against real defence needs.
