Technology Report

September 27, 2026

EagleEye Tactical SAR System

Artificial intelligence that spots people or fires in drone video usually depends on a fast connection to powerful servers, which is exactly what a disaster zone or a remote forest tends to lack. A drone system built by a conservation agency in Indonesia is designed to work either way. On September 27, 2026, the Indonesian news agency ANTARA reported that Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni had praised the EagleEye Tactical SAR System after it won first place in the Military Drone Development, SAR and Disaster Relief category of the 2026 TNI Commander’s Cup Open Tournament, a competition run by Indonesia’s armed forces.

EagleEye was developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of South Sulawesi, part of the Ministry of Forestry. According to the report, it is a drone command-center platform for real-time tactical monitoring that combines drone remote sensing with AI analysis.

What sets it apart, as described, is that it uses two kinds of AI processing. A cloud AI server handles high-precision analysis when an internet connection is available. A local edge AI agent, software running on equipment in the field rather than in a distant data center, gives faster analysis in severely affected areas or places with limited connectivity. The system is designed to let search-and-rescue teams switch between the two as conditions change, the report says. EagleEye also includes a Python-based nighttime image-processing module, analysis of video after flights, and low-latency distribution of tactical alerts, meaning warnings that reach teams with little delay.

The same platform is meant for forest and land fire management, according to ANTARA: monitoring hotspots and smoke density, identifying firefighters on the ground, and using AI to identify wildlife. “This innovation demonstrates that drone technology and artificial intelligence can be developed to support field needs, both in search and rescue, forest and land fire management, and wildlife protection,” Antoni said. He said he hoped it would be developed further and adopted more widely across Indonesia.

The report does not name the drones used, give detection accuracy or range, or say whether EagleEye has been used on a real search.