Drone Detection

Drone Detection

A knowledge base on detecting unauthorized drones at critical infrastructure — power, water, emergency shelters, and secure facilities. Covers detection physics (micro-Doppler radar, RF, acoustic, optical), open-source tools, commercial hardware, and counter-drone-drone platforms.

Scope: Detection and classification systems usable today, with emphasis on drone-vs-bird discrimination and threats that assume no RF control link.

Topic Areas

  • Detection Methods — Micro-Doppler radar, RF/Remote ID, acoustic, optical, and sensor fusion
  • Threat Taxonomy — Classification of drone threats: surveillance, RF attack, fiber-optic FPV, autonomous, and swarms
  • Regulatory Framework — US C-UAS legal landscape: who can detect, who can interdict, applicable statutes, CISA guidance
  • Open Source Projects — OpenDroneID, DJI DroneID decoders, acoustic ML pipeline, and community tools
  • Commercial Hardware — Dedrone, DroneShield, Fortem, D-Fend, Aaronia, Robin Radar, Marduk, AeroDefense, Sentrycs, Skydio
  • Deployment Architecture — Design pattern for fixed-site C-UAS: sensor placement, integration, power/networking, maintenance
  • Counter-Drone Platforms — Interceptor drones and kinetic/non-kinetic response

Companies

Startups & Development Partners

Company HQ Stage Mission
Fortem Technologies USA Growth (Lockheed $25M, 2026) Radar + AI + DroneHunter interceptor drone C-UAS system
D-Fend Solutions Israel Growth Cyber-takeover counter-drone for critical infrastructure
Aaronia AG Germany Private RF spectrum monitoring-based drone detection (AARTOS)
Robin Radar Systems Netherlands Private 3D micro-Doppler radar with bird/drone classification (IRIS)
Marduk Technologies Estonia Early Passive electro-optical detection — counters RF-dark/fiber-optic threats
AeroDefense USA Private AirWarden Remote ID receiver and RF sensor network
Dronetag Czech Republic Private Remote ID hardware (BS base station receiver)
Sentrycs Israel Acquired (Ondas, Nov 2025) Cyber-over-RF protocol manipulation — detect/ID/mitigate without jamming; 25+ countries
Skydio USA Growth (Series F, $4.4B) Autonomous drone-in-a-box patrol; X10/X10D; AI anomaly detection; Blue UAS listed

Public Companies

Ticker Company Mission
DRO DroneShield AI-powered C-UAS: RF, radar, acoustic, computer vision
AXON Axon Enterprise (Dedrone) Multi-sensor drone detection platform (acquired Dedrone Oct 2024)
ONDS Ondas Holdings Parent of Sentrycs (CoRF C-UAS) and Iron Drone Raider interceptor

Incumbents

Ticker Company Relevance
LMT Lockheed Martin $25M investment in Fortem Technologies (Apr 2026); own C-UAS programs
RTX RTX Coyote interceptor drone program; C-UAS integration

Sections

  • Commercial C-UAS Hardware — Commercial drone detection hardware vendors for critical infrastructure protection — multi-sensor systems, RF scanners, radar, and passive optical.
  • Counter-Drone Interceptor Platforms — Autonomous interceptor drones and kinetic counter-drone platforms — drone-kills-drone approaches for C-UAS response.
  • Detection Methods — Overview of drone detection modalities: micro-Doppler radar, RF/Remote ID, acoustic, optical/thermal, and multi-sensor fusion — with focus on drone-vs-bird discrimination.
  • Open Source Drone Detection Projects — Open-source tools and libraries for drone detection and Remote ID decoding — usable today for building custom detection systems.

Entries

  • C-UAS Deployment Architecture for Fixed Critical Infrastructure — Design pattern for building a counter-UAS detection system at a fixed critical infrastructure site: sensor placement geometry, integration architecture, power and networking, and maintenance cadence.
  • Drone Threat Taxonomy for Critical Infrastructure — Classification of drone threat categories relevant to critical infrastructure protection, covering detection difficulty, primary detection methods, countermeasures, and real-world incidents.
  • US C-UAS Regulatory Framework — Legal landscape governing counter-UAS detection and interdiction in the United States — who can detect, who can interdict, and which laws constrain private operators.