German firm's new mini drone dock passes final tests

German drone developer CiS completed validation testing of the ORKA Dock Mini, a compact launch, recovery and charging station measuring about 80 by 80 centimetres. The dock is designed to operate the company's ORKA drone from small vessels, ground vehicles and pickup trucks, enabling repeated autonomous sorties without a fixed airfield. Testing precedes the first delivery to a naval customer, whose identity and contract details were not disclosed. The milestone validates the dock's configuration for delivery but does not establish broad operational deployment or procurement by the German armed forces.