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

Companies

Startups & Development Partners

Company HQ Stage Mission
Allen Control Systems USA Series B ($200M, $2.2B, Jun 2026) Bullfrog autonomous kinetic weapon station; M240/M2/M230/M134; SOCOM + Army contracts
Fortem Technologies USA Growth (Lockheed $25M, 2026) Radar + AI + DroneHunter interceptor drone C-UAS system
D-Fend Solutions Israel Acquired (Motorola Solutions, reported ~$1.5B, 2026 — unconfirmed) Cyber-takeover counter-drone for critical infrastructure
Aaronia AG Germany Private RF spectrum monitoring-based drone detection (AARTOS)
Robin Radar Systems Netherlands Private (Parcom investment, 2024) 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
Vigil Autonomy USA Early (founded Aug 2025) CommonDefense multi-spectral benchmark dataset and perception infrastructure for C-UAS teams
Soundryx USA Early (founded Jan 2025) Acoustic sensor network detecting drones, vehicles, and gunshots — anti-stealth, radar-independent
CRFS UK Acquired (Motorola Solutions, reported 2025–2026 — unconfirmed) RFeye passive RF signal-hunting network; non-cooperative geolocation (AoA/TDoA/FDoA); integrated into L3Harris/Rafael systems
Sensofusion Finland Growth (€20.8M 2024 turnover reported) Airfence passive RF drone + pilot locator; deployed commercially since 2016
Tron Future Tech Taiwan Series A (2024) AESA-based anti-drone stack (T.Radar/T.Sensor/T.Jammer/T.Cam/T.Meta)
Echodyne USA Growth (Series A led by Bill Gates/Madrona; scaling production 2026) Miniaturized MESA/ESA radar embedded in Dedrone, defense integrators; $490M USAF SUADS contract

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
— (state-owned) Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Hunter Eagle / Ghost Hunter kinetic interceptors; Drone Dome C-UAS (integrates CRFS RFeye)

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, Remote ID monitoring, non-cooperative RF direction finding, 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, Remote ID decoding, and radar — 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 Privacy, Trespass, and Criminal Misuse Law — How US, UK, German, and French law treat drone operators who spy on private property, harass, or vandalize — the civil/criminal line, and when to involve police.
  • 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.
  • International Remote ID Requirements — Comparison of drone Remote ID / remote identification mandates across the UK, EU, China, and Japan — timelines, technical scope, and how each regime differs from the US FAA Remote ID rule.
  • Ukraine Conflict: Drone Countermeasures Lessons Learned — Practical lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict on what works and what doesn't in battlefield drone countermeasures — kinetic, electronic, directed energy, and passive physical defenses.
  • 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.