Military Drone Detection

Developers of drone detection systems for military applications, including the detection, tracking and neutralization of Group-1/2 unmanned aerial systems (UAS)

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Alpine Eagle

Sentinel: A Groundbreaking Networked Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) Solution

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Cannon Defense & Security

Manufacturer & Systems Integrator of Deployable Systems for Military, Government & Security Applications

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D-Fend Solutions

RF-Cyber Counter-Drone Technologies for Military, Special Forces & Government Applications

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SightLine Applications

Powerful Edge Video Processing - Essential functionality for a wide range of ISR applications

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Echodyne

Radar Reinvented: Radars for Counter-UAS, Base & Asset Security, and Portable ISR

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Products

Sentinel

Airborne counter-UAS system with active radar & networked edge AI processing

Airborne counter-UAS system with active radar & networked edge AI processing
...hensive threat detection and neutralization capabilities by interfacing seamlessly with a range of... ...es it an ideal military off-the-shelf (MOTS) solution for defense forces and security agencies...
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EnforceAir2 Maritime

RF Cyber-Takeover C-UAS for Naval & Maritime Defense

RF Cyber-Takeover C-UAS for Naval & Maritime Defense
... the automatic detection, location, and identification of rogue drones, including pinpointing pilot... ......itime offers a scalable, low-power, and ruggedized solution to naval drone threats....
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MSC2

Integrated multi-sensor command & control platform for enhanced counter-drone capabilities

Integrated multi-sensor command & control platform for enhanced counter-drone capabilities
......ed for border protection, expansive military installations, and extended battlefield... ...ft response to drone threats, MSC2 intelligently selects the most appropriate sensor based on radio...
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EnforceAir

Anti-drone technology featuring state-of-the-art RF cyber takeover capabilities

Anti-drone technology featuring state-of-the-art RF cyber takeover capabilities
...eading counter-drone system based on state-of-the-art radio-frequency (RF) cyber takeover...
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EnforceAir2

Counter-UAS solution with tactical capabilities

Counter-UAS solution with tactical capabilities
...agship counter-drone system, delivering more power and performance in a highly compact footprint....
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Border Watch

Radar & EO/IR-based threat detection & counter-UAS solution

Radar & EO/IR-based threat detection & counter-UAS solution
...ess and threat detection solution that uses remotely-controlled networkable Automated Sensor Points...
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EchoFlight Radar

Airborne DAA radar for UAVs

Airborne DAA radar for UAVs
...d by dozens of drone operators to ensure the utmost in safety for mid-sized autonomous and BVLOS...
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EchoGuard Radar

Ultra-low C-SWaP ESA radar for counter-UAS and airspace & ground surveillance

Ultra-low C-SWaP ESA radar for counter-UAS and airspace & ground surveillance
... high-accuracy detection, tracking and classification of airspace and ground-based objects. Able to...
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EchoShield Radar

Advanced cognitive 4D radar with large field of view

Advanced cognitive 4D radar with large field of view
EchoShield is Echodyne's most advanced and accurate radar, based on advanced pulse-Doppler technolog...
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Overview

By Dr Thomas Withington

Last updated:

Challenges in Detecting, Identifying & Tracking Group-1/2 Drones

Detecting drones can be difficult with small- and medium-sized aircraft posing particular problems.

The United States’ Department of Defence (DOD) uses a classification system for drone size. Classifications are made according to the aircraft’s Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW), operating altitude and airspeed.

  • Group-1 drones have an MTOW of between 0 and 20 pounds/lbs (nine kilograms/kg), a 1,200 feet/ft (365.8metres/m) altitude and an airspeed below 100 knots (185 kilometers-per-hour).
  • Group-2 drones have an airspeed below 250 knots (463 km/h) and fly at altitudes below 3,500ft (1,067m). This classification of drones covers aircraft with an MTOW between 21lbs (9.5kg) and 55lbs (25kg).

The problem with Group-1/2 drones is that they can be difficult to detect, identify and track using conventional radar. As such, specialist radars for drone detection may be called for.

Small Radar Cross Sections

Many of these drones are physically small even when compared to light aircraft. They can also be constructed from materials like plastic or fiberglass which give the drone a lightweight construction. The flipside is that these materials can be bad at reflecting Radio Frequency (RF) signals back to a radar.

These two factors of non-metallic material construction and a small physical size can give a drone a small Radar Cross Section (RCS). RCS indicates how small an object seems to a radar. Much like the human eye, the smaller an object’s RCS, the harder it is for the radar to see it. Many radars have thresholds for the RCSs of the targets they detect, identify and track.

These thresholds serve a practical purpose. If a radar was tuned to detect all targets in the air within range of its antenna the radar’s processor, which determines a target’s characteristics, could become inundated. Skies are filled with flocks of birds, swarms of insects and even snow, hale and rain. All these objects can cause clutter on a radar screen.

The Problem with Clutter

Clutter may inundate a radar screen obscuring the actual target of interest to the radar operator. For example, a bird may have an RCS of 0.01 square meters. A MiG-29K (NATO reporting name Fulcrum-D) combat aircraft has an RCS of between one and 1.5 square meters. If the radar operator is looking for a MiG-29K they may tune their radar to filter out targets with RCSs of under one square meter and above two square meters. Their radar will ignore targets either side of these thresholds, allowing the operator to concentrate on their search for the MiG-29K. Some small civilian hobby drones can have RCSs equivalent to those of birds. As a result, some radars may simply ignore the drones mistaking them for birds.

A Combined Approach to Military Drone Detection

Crucially, there is no single technology which is infallible for detecting, identifying, locating and tracking a drone. Instead, passive RF sensing should be combined with other sensors like acoustics, specialist radar and optronics to ensure the highest likelihood that an errant drone does not escape unnoticed.

By Dr Thomas Withington

Last updated:

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