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02 · Technology

One unit. A coordinated swarm.

Every SPARK unit is a small, modular, autonomous aircraft built to be field-replaceable and mesh-linked to the units around it — so a swarm can converge on one ignition, or split across several at once.

Unit anatomy

What's on the aircraft.

Six core systems make up a single unit — from the airframe to the payload it carries.

01

Brushless motors (×4), foldable carbon-fibre arms

Four motors on foldable arms give the unit a compact stowed footprint and full quadcopter lift when deployed.

02

Arm / motor pod — modular, field-replaceable

Each arm assembly is a swappable pod, so a damaged unit can be repaired in the field rather than grounded.

03

Flight controller and autonomy compute module

The central chassis houses the compute that flies the aircraft and runs its autonomous targeting and coordination logic.

04

Swarm-mesh communication antenna

Keeps each unit in constant contact with nearby units, so the swarm can coordinate its approach in real time.

05

Forward thermal + optical targeting sensor

Nose-mounted sensing for locating and confirming an ignition point before the payload is released.

06

Modular retardant ejection pods, quick-swap rack

The payload bay holds a quick-swap cartridge rack, so a unit can be reloaded and relaunched fast between sorties.

Illustration for pitch/planning purposes only. Final airframe, sensor package, and payload count subject to engineering validation.

How it works

Detect. Dispatch. Suppress.

This is swarm dispatch, not a single unit responding alone — the coordination system decides how many units go, and where.

01
Detection / trigger
Camera network, satellite, and lightning sensors flag an ignition the moment it starts.
02
Spark coordination system
Assigns the nearest available units and plans their approach in real time.
03
Units A / B / C
Each launched unit flies and targets autonomously, guided by its onboard sensing and the coordination plan.
04
Coordinated suppression
Multiple units strike the same ignition from different angles — or split across simultaneous fires. "22 large fires broke out almost simultaneously across the Iberian Peninsula in August 2025 — one aircraft cannot be in two places. A coordinated group of smaller units can."
A human operator retains override and shutdown authority at every stage — units never act outside agency-approved parameters.
Where we are

Demonstrator, not fleet.

Today this is a technology demonstrator — most realistically one or two physical flight units with the payload-release mechanism proven, and swarm coordination validated primarily in simulation. Not a fielded multi-unit fleet, yet.

See it

From blueprint
to build.

Photos and footage from assembly and early flight testing.

View the gallery →