Tective is a Dutch defense technology company based in Delft, founded in 2019. Our teams develop autonomous drone infrastructure for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). We enable defense, security and public-safety organizations to maintain situational awareness across large or difficult-to-access areas, while reducing the workload and logistical burden placed on operators.
Our integrated system combines SkyCommand mission software, the SkyHive autonomous launch-and-recovery station and our ReFly unmanned aerial vehicles. SkyHive stores, launches, recovers, recharges and automatically swaps batteries for a fleet of five ReFly drones. This allows operators to plan and supervise missions instead of repeatedly handling individual aircraft. ReFly brings together day- and night-capable sensors, onboard processing and resilient communications to deliver actionable information from the field. Through SkyCommand, users can task multiple drones, review detections and connect operations to wider command systems.
The platform is designed for scalable missions. Applications include persistent ISR, early warning, protection of military sites and critical infrastructure, border monitoring and mobile surveillance. Multiple SkyHive systems can work together to extend coverage, while modular hardware and an open architecture support mission-specific payloads, software and integration requirements. A human remains in the loop for operational oversight and the verification of detections.
Tective develops and integrates the complete operational chain: mission planning, autonomous deployment, aerial sensing, data processing and recovery. This end-to-end approach shortens the path from tasking to insight and helps customers move from isolated drone flights to continuous aerial coverage. The same technology also supports dual-use applications, including automated data collection in agriculture.
Our technology and market relevance have been recognised within the Dutch defence innovation ecosystem. Tective won the NIDV Innovation Challenge in 2022 and, in 2025, became the first company to receive an investment from SecFund, supported by the Dutch Ministries of Defence and Economic Affairs and the regional development agencies. As we scale production, Tective aims to strengthen the Dutch and European unmanned-systems ecosystem through close cooperation with end users, knowledge institutions and industrial partners