The Drone Threat: A Rising Challenge
Drones aren’t just recreational toys anymore. With each passing day, there is more proof of drones becoming essential assets for industry, logistics, media, and other uses.
But they’ve also become tools for dangerous, sometimes even criminal, behavior. In a relatively small number of cases, drones are being used for illegal surveillance, smuggling, cyber attacks meant to steal, damage sensitive information, or cause operational disruption, etc—all by flying unnoticed and unchallenged into restricted or sensitive airspace.
Whether near airports, prisons, power plants, corporate campuses, or private home locations, unauthorized drones pose a serious threat that can no longer be ignored.
Drone regulations are slowly catching up, but organizations need something more immediate: a drone detection system that can identify, track, and alert on drone threats in real time and provide actionable information/response options for security and law enforcement personnel.
Airport Scares: Just One Example Why Drone Defence is Urgently Needed
Dozens, even hundreds, of lives are endangered when a single careless, clueless, or criminal drone pilot flies a drone into restricted airport zones.
Drones already have a reputation for endangering airline passengers and personnel. The Associated Press reports that half of the "near miss" incidents with aircraft logged over the last decade were due to unauthorized drones.
Unfortunately, this number is at risk of increasing as drones become all the more popular and counter-drone systems remain in their infancy.
How to Counter the Drone Threat? With the Right Technology Solutions
RF, Optical Sensors, Acoustic Sensors, and More—Which Sensors Combined Make the Best Counter-Drone System?
The most reliable systems combine multiple technologies to detect and enable responses to drone activity, including the following:
- RF Detection – Identifies drone and controller signals (including Remote ID broadcasts) via radio frequencies
- Radar – Tracks movement via radio waves, including the ability to detect "undetectable" autonomous drones without Remote ID
- Optical/AI Vision – Visually confirm the presence of drones with high-resolution cameras
- Acoustic Sensors – Detects drone noise in quiet areas
- Sensor Fusion – Combines methods for accuracy and low false positives
The Achilles heel of the majority of these technologies is that they can't detect where the drone pilot is located. Their detection capabilities are limited to picking out and tracking the flight path of the drones in real time, with little to no idea of where that drone is being controlled from.
Mitigation: When you can't use a Jammer, Net Gun, or Shotgun
Once a drone threat is detected, it needs to be mitigated before it can record private information, launch a cyber attack, or launch a physical attack. Unfortunately, not many anti-drone countermeasures are available to civilians or even law enforcement agencies.
It is illegal to shoot down a drone even if it is encroaching on private or restricted airspace. If you try to radio jam it or use any other hard-kill methods, you’re still risking legal consequences such as fines or even jail time,
The only legal method to stop a drone is to find and stop the drone pilot.
Introducing RDID™: The Low-Cost, Legal Drone Detection Solution
At TheDroneTracker.com, we’ve developed the RDID (Remote Drone ID™)—a high-performance drone and drone operator detection system built for critical security operations.
Developed in affiliation with Spotter Global, a leader in radar surveillance, RDID delivers advanced RF signal detection with the ability to not only identify and classify drones in flight, but also pinpoint the exact location of the drone’s operator.
If the drone pilot escapes before they can be confronted, the RDID will often capture the drone's registration number. Submit this number along with your official complaint to law enforcement about a drone threat/nuisance, and they can use it to track down the offending uas pilot. Depending on the severity of their drone intrusion, they may be charged a fine, be issued a warning, or sentenced to time in jail.
🛡️ RDID Highlights:
- Long-range RF detection for wide-area monitoring over nearly 7000 acres
- Real-time alerts and automatic threat classification
- Operator geolocation to track where the drone is being controlled from
- Secure remote dashboard and mobile access
- Rugged hardware for tough environments
- Scalable and integrable into larger security systems
This is a professional-grade drone detection system designed for use in high-security sectors where minimal response time and maximal intelligence are critical.
Integrate Thoroughly for Best Results
No single security device is a fix-all. RDID is an impressive device that can do a lot of good, even when operated from a police vehicle in motion.
However, the tightest security comes from the seamless integration of multiple surveillance technologies through software that can operate them all synchronously according to a site-customized security design. RDID can be integrated via NetworkedIO with PTZ Cameras, VMS systems, automated floodlights, and other security devices already installed on the property.
Critical Infrastructure Protection and Other High-Risk Applications
RDID is ideal for:
- Airports and restricted airspace enforcement
- Correctional facility airspace security
- Utility and energy sector protection
- Corporate campuses and R&D centers
- Border surveillance and public event safety
Knowing where the drone is flying is valuable—knowing who’s flying it and from where is game-changing. RDID gives your security team both.
What about dark drones?
Need 360-degree situational awareness on autonomous drone threats? We recommend the AX250 drone detection radar.
AX250 radars can detect both recreational Remote-ID compliant and non-compliant "dark drones". They can detect threats through environmental clutter, including snow, rain, fog, or smoke. Paired with the right machine learning C2 software, the AX250 can minimize false alarms by distinguishing between drones and other aerial objects such as birds or kites.
Both of these security solutions integrate seamlessly into multi-layered security designs, including data integration with PTZ cameras, VMS systems, automated deterrence measures, and more.
Take Control of Your Airspace
As drone threats become more frequent and more sophisticated, the need for advanced drone detection systems is urgent. With RDID from TheDroneTracker.com, you gain long-range visibility, real-time alerts, and the ability to locate both the drone and its pilot—empowering your team to act fast and effectively.
Request a live demo or learn more at www.TheDroneTracker.com