Defying the drone threat

C-UAS
An ideal approach for the demanding applications in drone monitoring and countermeasures, Rohde & Schwarz’ ARDRONIS meets the challenges of countering radio-controlled UAS by intercepting the radio communications link to reliably detect and capture the direction of pilots and drones. (Image: Rohde & Schwarz)

Drones are increasingly becoming a real and growing danger, with off-the-shelf unmanned aerial systems (UAS) rarely out of the headlines these days and drone incidents an almost weekly occurrence.

The EU Commission recently gave out a warning about the potential use of drones to carry out terrorist attacks. Not only critical national infrastructure is in danger; commercial facilities, such as arenas and stadiums, are also vulnerable to a wide array of threats, not to forget invasion of privacy, smuggling and industrial espionage. Regardless of the UAS operator’s intention, drones pose a serious security risk.

To counter rapidly developing UAS threats, accurate classification of the type of drone detected is critical to the subsequent decision-making process. R&S ARDRONIS Counter-UAS solution by Rohde & Schwarz (shown at DSEi 2019 on booth S1-350 in London, UK) provides reliable drone control uplink signal detection and disrupting capabilities, even under challenging signal scenarios. Modular and scalable, R&S ARDRONIS can be deployed on a variety of platforms and readily integrated to suit specific threat profiles, with numerous systems operational with government users.

R&S ARDRONIS effectively detects and disrupts a UAS control uplink signal at a very early point. It monitors remote control uplink and drone downlink signals (in all relevant frequency bands) and can detect and locate those at an approx. range of up to 5-7 km under optimal conditions.

“R&S ARDRONIS combines leading Rohde & Schwarz sensors to form a reliable, high-performance solution for, e.g. securing a predefined airspace against drones,” says Dietmar Vahldiek, Executive Vice President Monitoring and Network Testing, Rohde & Schwarz. “Highly sensitive antennas and monitoring receivers collect the extremely agile platforms’ signals. Through repeated involvement in protecting high-profile events and high-ranking VIPs, R&S ARDRONIS has proven to be a valuable asset for security services involved and a future-proof solution. We are skilled experts with the expertise needed to get the job done, combining German engineering with an international mindset.”

With its partners ESG and Diehl Defence, Rohde & Schwarz furthermore offers a mission-proven modular multisensor UAS detection and defense system called GUARDION that includes the R&S ARDRONIS sensors and countermeasures. Already tried and tested in various major political events and in operation with many customers worldwide, GUARDION provides secure detection and defense against drones in stationary, mobile or deployable configurations, adapted to the individual requirements of customers and situations.

For more information on R&S ARDRONIS, please visit https://youtu.be/913-aQG9-Xc, and come see Rohde & Schwarz at DSEi 2019 on booth S1-350 in London, UK, to learn more about our counter-UAS technology.

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