Paladin unveils new First Responder drone: Knighthawk 2.0. Paladin has introduced Knighthawk 2.0, an autonomous NDAA-compliant drone designed as public safety infrastructure for Drone as a First Responder (DFR) programs worldwide. Knighthawk 2.0: Drone as a First Responder. Built on DFR concepts, Knighthawk 2.0 launches immediately when an emergency call comes in, reaching the scene in about 70 seconds to provide real-time aerial situational awareness. Designed to operate across cities, disaster zones and critical incidents where agencies need fast, reliable and mission-ready aerial data, Knighthawk 2.0 is designed with an emphasis on shortening the time between the first report of an incident and the first overhead view. The platform is manufactured in the United States and is described as NDAA-compliant, targeting agencies that must meet U.S. sourcing and security requirements for unmanned systems. Flight performance and sensor suite. Knighthawk 2.0 offers more than 40 minutes of flight time and a reported cruising speed of more than 70 kilometers per hour, enabling it to cover large urban areas from fixed launch sites. Guided by advanced sensors, precision GPS and obstacle avoidance, the drone supports operations over diverse terrain and in unpredictable conditions. For imaging, the aircraft carries a 4K wide camera, a zoom camera with 10x optical capability and a 640p thermal sensor, allowing first responders to switch between visual and thermal views as conditions demand. Unlimited-range 5G/LTE connectivity keeps remote pilots and command staff connected to the live video feed and telemetry throughout an incident response. Global public safety infrastructure play. Paladin is deploying Knighthawk 2.0 rapid-response capabilities with first responders in countries including the United States, India and Portugal, positioning the system as public safety infrastructure rather than a stand-alone drone. To expand its global footprint, the company has partnered with Portuguese drone manufacturer Beyond Vision, integrating Paladin's all-in-one DFR solution with Beyond Vision's NATO-compliant, fully autonomous UAV systems. "Public safety is the backbone of modern civilization. When people do not feel safe, everything suffers," said Divyaditya Shrivastava, CEO of Paladin. "We're excited to launch Knighthawk 2.0 to help build safer cities, and give any city across the world less than 70 second response time for any emergency." World Defense Show debut. Paladin is showcasing Knighthawk 2.0 at the World Defense Show, sharing a booth with Beyond Vision in Hall 1, Booth N32. Demonstration focus on how autonomous DFR deployments can deliver rapid aerial situational awareness, support first responders and scale public safety infrastructure globally. More information about Paladin is available from their website. More information about Beyond Vision is available from their website.

Houston's Paladin launches Knighthawk 2.0 public safety drone. Houston startup Paladin Drones is launching a new model of its Knighthawk drone as the global market grows and the regulatory environment for such technologies evolves. The Knighthawk 2.0 has been developed in partnership with Portuguese drone manufacturer Beyond Vision, Paladin said in a news release, and will debut Sunday at the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. The new model complies with the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act, said founder and CEO Divy Shrivastava, meaning that its manufacturing supply chain is considered secure by the government of the United States and its allies. It will have a "significantly improved" sensor suite, with optical zoom that allows the Knighthawk to pick out license plates on the ground from at least 200 feet. The new drone will also be faster than its predecessor, with a top speed of more than 40 mph, giving first responders information from emergency situations several miles away in as little as 70 seconds. "The core concept that we focus on is getting eyes on in 90 seconds or less," said Shrivastava in an interview Wednesday. "If you can get eyes on in 90 seconds or less, you can understand what is happening." Shrivastava said that he began building robots as a boy, growing up in a small town in Ohio. Personal experience spurred his interest in public-safety drones. In high school, he said, a friend's house burned down. The event was devastating for the entire community and spurred him to consider how new technologies might help first responders do their lifesaving work: the town's fire marshal had told him that fires can double in size every thirty seconds-and he knew that in the case of his friend's family, the person who called 911, in a state of panic, gave an address halfway across town. Paladin Drones was formally founded in 2018, when Shrivastava was a student at the University of California, Berkeley. The startup swiftly drew interest from Y Combinator, the influential tech incubator. He ultimately dropped out of college and moved to Houston after Paladin scored its first contract, for a three-month pilot program with the Memorial Villages Police Department, in 2019. Today, he said, Paladin has about 40 employees, the majority of them based in Houston, and works with more than 100 departments in 25 states. The company's core values include innovation, safety and community. The Knighthawk 2.0 debut comes as more drones take to the skies over the region. Walmart last month launched drone delivery service in the region, and the drone delivery company Zipline plans to do the same this spring. For now, Shrivastava said, Paladin drones are only flying in the Memorial Villages, but the company has ambitious expansion plans. The company's website says it vision is "to have a UAV responding to every 911 call in the United States by 2027." Launching in smaller communities such as the Villages, he added, has given Paladin the opportunity to fine-tune its processes as well as its technology, to account for community concerns around privacy, for example.