Cyberhawk secures three-year SSE drone inspection contract

Cyberhawk has secured a three-year drone inspection agreement with SSE, with an option to extend for two more years. The deal covers the energy giant's transmission and distribution networks across mainland Britain and expands the scope to include offshore wind turbine inspections.

The agreement is with SSE's regulated electricity network businesses, SSEN Transmission and SSEN Distribution. Cyberhawk will provide specialist drone inspection and surveying services across these networks. A specific lot within the contract covers SSE's offshore renewable energy assets, marking a formal expansion of drone inspections into the offshore wind sector.

Renewal of digital platform and long-term partnership

The new field inspection contract runs alongside a renewed multi-year agreement for Cyberhawk's iHawk as a Service platform. This marks the third major long-term contract between the two companies, building on a partnership that has lasted for more than a decade. The two previous agreements were each five-year deals.

Cyberhawk CEO Chris Fleming said the company was "extremely pleased" to continue its relationship with SSE. He noted this represents the third consecutive long-term award in a relationship spanning more than ten years.

Technology and operational integration

The iHawk platform is a digital infrastructure intelligence system. It brings together drone-collected imagery, geospatial information, and AI-assisted analytics into a centralized digital record. This system organizes information around individual assets, helping utility operators identify potential risks, manage follow-up work, and support operational decision-making.

This agreement exemplifies a shift in commercial drone use. The focus is no longer just on putting a camera in the sky. Instead, it is about building an entire inspection and asset-management workflow around the data drones collect. The relationship now includes both field operations and digital asset intelligence components, integrating drone technology into a broader segment of SSE's energy operations.

Strategic context within Ondas and market trends

Cyberhawk is a subsidiary of Ondas Inc., a provider of autonomous systems and mission-critical technologies. The work with SSE reflects a broader industry trend toward repeatable, data-driven inspections in critical infrastructure. For drone companies, this signals a growing market as asset owners seek to inspect, monitor, and manage renewable generation infrastructure at scale.

Ondas operates in two main segments: Ondas Networks, which develops private wireless broadband technology, and Ondas Autonomous Systems, which supplies autonomous drone platforms and services. The company serves industrial and mission-critical sectors including utilities, rail, oil and gas, and defense.

The agreement aligns with SSE's substantial investment plans. The energy firm intends to invest £33 billion in its infrastructure by 2030. This investment will create a large volume of new infrastructure requiring ongoing inspection, maintenance, and monitoring.

Cyberhawk will begin delivering specialist drone inspection and surveying services across SSE’s electricity networks, including offshore wind turbines, under the three-year agreement.