Les saken på norsk Dark Drones 2026 brought together leading Norwegian and international actors in autonomous drone technology for presentations, panel debates, and live demonstrations in Trondheim. The event focused on defense, security, situational awareness, and collaboration between industry and military actors. Denis Kanin from Ukraine, representing Defence Innovation Highway (DIH), discussed the rapid development of both remote-controlled and autonomous drones in Ukraine. He highlighted how technological experiences from conflict areas can inspire innovation in peacetime and open new opportunities for both industry and defense. Dark Drones 2026. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Alberts Spila from the Ukrainian-Latvian company DK Nejet, which plans to produce 40,000 drones this year, said: We want to be part of the industry here in Norway. We already have early-stage collaboration on products that we will test on the front line in a few months, and Trondheim will become our global integration office. Alberts Spila, DK Nejet. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Read also: Ukrainian-Latvian drone company establishes office in Trondheim Autonomous Solutions for Air, Surface, and Underwater Operations Dark Drones demonstrated how the drones of the future can operate across multiple domains: in the air, on the water surface, and underwater. Fugro was highlighted as a world leader in seabed mapping and inspection. Jan Arvid Ingulvsen presented a video of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) operating in 6-meter waves. Fugro delivers solutions for situational awareness, including UAVs, USVs, and remote operation centers (ROCs) for global operations. Jan Arvid Ingulvsen, Fugro. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Sander Henriksen from Nordic USV showed how multiple autonomous drones can operate along large parts of the coastline from a single ROC, with multiple docking stations and built-in redundancy to ensure safe operations. Torstein Skogset from WaterLinked emphasized that underwater operations are one of the most challenging domains, even more demanding than air or space. The company develops navigation systems using Doppler technology and 3D sonar, combined with sensor fusion to make drones compact, robust, and efficient. WaterLinked collaborates with partners including Skarv and Blueye Robotics. Torstein Skogset, WaterLinked. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Sigmund Henningsen from SentiSystems presented GNSS-denied operations, referring to autonomous navigation without GPS, with examples from autonomous ferries in the Sognefjord, aviation, and future lunar navigation. Øyvind Smogeli from Zeabuz presented dual-use autonomy solutions, where multi-sensor systems enable autonomous sailing, remote operations, and SLAM-based navigation for GPS-denied environments. The ZeaFalcon Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) from Zeabuz was among the autonomous vessels demonstrated. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Situational Awareness with AI Several panel debates at Dark Drones emphasized the importance of AI and advanced sensor networks. Tore Norheim Hagtun from Clarify presented Gjallarhorn, a collaborative project that integrates data from multiple surface, underwater, and aerial sensors. He stressed: Too much data without context is useless, and speed in decision-making is a weapon in itself. Trygve Olav Fossum from Skarv Technologies highlighted that physical resources alone are no longer sufficient; software and data analysis are essential for autonomous missions, such as scallop searches in the Barents Sea and port security operations. Trygve Olav Fossum demonstrating the Skarv underwater drone. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Squarehead demonstrated how acoustic sensors can detect drones, boats, and helicopters, while Kahu collects and organizes radar and AIS data for dual-use operations offshore and onshore. The panel also highlighted the challenges of underwater operations, which remain largely unregulated, and the importance of access to test areas for air, surface, and subsea operations. Defense systems are complex “systems of systems,” and AI will increasingly support real-time decision-making. Dark Drones 2026. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Demo Day with Practical Demonstrations The second day of Dark Drones was Demo Day, where multiple companies showcased drones in the air, on the water surface, and underwater. Drone detection systems, counter-drone solutions, and Remote Operation Centers (ROCs) were also demonstrated. Nanodrone from Teledyne FLIR. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Demonstrations took place at Trondheim Maritime Center, Dora 2 Pier, and the Nyhavna harbor basin. Participating companies included Skarv, Blueye Robotics, Teledyne FLIR, DK Nejet, Airolit, Maritime Robotics, Eelume, and Kongsberg Discovery. In addition, Clarify, Wsense, WaterLinked, Ocean Access, and Fugro offered continuous presentations of their technology and solutions. Pictures from Dark Drones and demonstrations Levi Jamt demonstrating control of autonomous vessels from the Zeabuz Remote Operations Center (ROC) at Nyhavna. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Thomas Nygaard (Eelume), Eirik Hovstein (Maritime Robotics), Christian Gabrielsen (Blueye Robotics), and Vegard Forbord (Biodrone) showcasing the collaborative Eelume WP960 project. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Read also: Launching a new uncrewed surface vessel for mine countermeasures Dennis Kanin, Defence Innovation Highway (DIH). Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Dark Drones 2026. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Tore Norheim Hagtun from Clarify presenting the Gjallarhorn project. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Beata Hranaiova, Founder & CEO of Kahu. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Eelume WP960, autonomous vessel for mine countermeasures. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Nanodrone from Teledyne FLIR. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Tore Norheim Hagtun, Clarify. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Watch NRK’s coverage of Dark Drones 2026
Les saken på norsk The Ukrainian–Latvian company DK Nejet is establishing an office in Trondheim. The company develops and manufactures advanced drone systems for military and dual-use applications and views Trondheim as a strategically important hub for further growth in the Nordic region and Europe, with a production target of 40,000 drones in 2026. “Trondheim has a unique technology ecosystem,” says Alberts Spila, CSO and co-founder of DK Nejet. “The city combines strong technical expertise, leading research environments, and an active industrial base. We see many opportunities for collaboration and want to be an active part of Norway’s defence and technology landscape.” For DK Nejet, establishing a presence in Norway is about becoming an integrated part of the industry and strengthening the company’s position as a global player, alongside its operations in Latvia and Ukraine. Alberts Spila, CSO and co-founder of DK Nejet. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Scaling drone production DK Nejet develops and produces several types of drones, including platforms for air-to-ground and air-to-air operations. The company currently has five operational drone platforms, with an additional five under development. A key focus is a high level of automation, enabling a single operator to control up to 42 drones simultaneously. The systems can be integrated with sensors and radar, automatically identify targets, and execute precise operations following operator approval. “Last year we produced 14,000 drones. This year, we are planning to triple production to around 40,000 drones,” says Spila. DK Nejet’s standard drone, capable of carrying a 2 kg payload. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri See also: Launching a new unmanned surface vessel for mine countermeasures Establishing in Trondheim As part of the establishment in Trondheim, DK Nejet plans to open its local office in the near term and initially recruit two positions within project management and systems integration. The objective is to strengthen the company’s ability to integrate its own solutions with partner technologies in a faster and more robust way. In the longer term, DK Nejet envisions Trondheim developing into a global integration hub, coordinating technology integrations across markets and regions. Alberts Spila of DK Nejet presenting on the rapid development and challenges of drone warfare in Ukraine during Dark Drones in Trondheim. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri Participated in Dark Drones and Dual-Use Meet-up in Trondheim DK Nejet has already been visible in the Norwegian ecosystem through participation in the Norwegian-Ukrainian Defence and Dual-Use Meet-up and Dark Drones in Trondheim. Both events were organised by Ocean Autonomy Cluster in collaboration with NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster. Demonstration of the company’s FPV (First Person View) drones during Dark Drones in Trondheim. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri During Dark Drones, Alberts Spila and DK Nejet shared insights into the rapid development and operational challenges of drone warfare in Ukraine. The company also presented and demonstrated its own drone systems. Nyhavna in Trondheim seen from a DK Nejet FPV drone. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset / Fremtidens Industri The conference focused on challenges related to operating and detecting drones in demanding conditions and brought together a wide range of actors showcasing drone technologies for operations in the air, on the surface, and below the surface. “We experienced strong interest in our solutions and see significant potential for collaboration in Norway,” says Spila. Read also: Ukrainian and Norwegian technology companies met in Trondheim to strengthen defence cooperation Watch NRK’s feature and interview with Alberts Spila during Dark Drones Photo: NRK