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 intension, 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 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,” said 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,” he added.

 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.

 The Rohde & Schwarz technology group develops, produces and markets innovative communications, information and security products for professional users. The group's test and measurement, broadcast and media, aerospace | defense | security, networks and cybersecurity business fields address many different industry and government-sector market segments.

 On June 30, 2018, Rohde & Schwarz had approximately 11,500 employees. The independent group achieved a net revenue of approximately EUR 2 billion in the 2017/2018 fiscal year (July to June). The company has its headquarters in Munich, Germany. Internationally, it has subsidiaries in more than 70 countries, with regional hubs in Asia and America.

 R&S® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.