ANT upgrades Mercury reconnaissance UAV system: flight time increased to five hours

Ukrainian defence tech company ANT has unveiled an upgraded version of its Mercury unmanned aerial system . The manufacturer told Defender Media that the platform can now fly for up to five hours and reach a maximum range of 300 km.

Compared with the previous iteration, Mercury’s service ceiling has increased from 3,000 to 4,000 m, while its cruising speed has risen from 75 to 90 km/h. Its maximum speed has increased to 76–126 km/h, and the system’s maximum take-off weight has risen from 13 to 19 kg.

Official flight endurance has increased from 2.5 to 4 hours, reaching up to 5 hours in operational conditions. The range for autonomous missions without a data link—storing footage on onboard storage—has increased from 100 to 150 km. The maximum operational range is 250 km, extending to 300 km under real-world operating conditions.

The upgraded Mercury features two communication links, including one operating on frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technology. The system supports satellite navigation, inertial navigation for satellite-denied environments, radio beacon navigation, automated waypoint navigation, radio silence mode, and automatic return-to-home functionality.

For reconnaissance, Mercury relies on an electro-optical payload combining a daylight camera and a thermal imaging sensor.

The company said the upgraded platform successfully completed operational trials in 2025 in the Pokrovsk sector and the Sudzha area.