Introducing Terrain Follow: Less altitude management, more mission focus. Terrain Follow allows any Paladin drone to automatically adjust its altitude as the ground below rises and falls. September 28, 2026 11:39 AM Sponsored by We are excited to announce the launch of our new feature Terrain Follow, one of our most requested flight capabilities. Terrain Follow allows any Paladin drone to automatically adjust its altitude as the ground below rises and falls. Instead of a pilot manually moving the drone up and down over hills, valleys, and slopes, Terrain Follow allows the drone to maintain a consistent height above the ground for the duration of the mission. This feature is available within Watchtower and works for both autonomous and manual flights. How does it work? Terrain Follow supports UAVs in maintaining a selected altitude above the ground (above ground level, or AGL) as it moves through an area with changing elevation. Say an operator configures a mission to 200 feet AGL. If the terrain becomes higher or lower, the drone will increase its altitude to maintain the preset AGL. This means that even if the underlying terrain changes by hundreds of feet, the pilot is no longer responsible for manually compensating for every elevation change. This feature is especially useful for agencies that operate around mountains, slopes, industrial sites, or infrastructure corridors. Pilots can now focus fully on the video feed, the mission at hand, and the information being collected to better assist on-ground units. Why is Terrain Follow needed? As Paladin has expanded rapidly across the country, we have seen more agencies operating in geographically complex areas. Pilots have to consider things like weather conditions, regulatory requirements, and aircraft limitations among a slew of other variables present in each flight, and terrain variations add another layer of intricacy. With Terrain Follow, pilots can focus on other priorities while the drone adjusts its altitude automatically. This feature lets the operator dedicate more energy to the actual mission without the burden of manual altitude adjustment. DFR is complicated enough - Paladin aims to continue developing technology such as Terrain Follow that simplifies DFR missions. Terrain follow provides: Smoother mission execution Automated altitude adjustments allow for a smoother and quicker flight path. Reduced risk of human error Automate repetitive altitude corrections and reduce dependence on constant manual adjustments. Ease of operation in complex environments Operate without treating every elevation change as a separate manual flight task. Greater mission coverage Areas that were previously more operationally demanding can become easier to reach and manage. Supporting our mission. Terrain Follow isn't just another feature available to Paladin clients - it represents the mission of our company and our goal to simplify the DFR workload with every update. Terrain Follow is a major step toward making drone operations feel simple, even when the underlying environment is complex. Our system handles the technical execution of DFR missions while pilots focus on getting the information they need for successful missions and safer outcomes. Get your 2-minute public safety briefing, every week. The SitRep delivers the latest industry news, growth signals and policy updates - all in one quick read. No spam. Just one weekly briefing.

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.