How portable drone detection devices work

BLUF: Portable detectors often rely on intercepting video feeds to track incoming drones. Two Ukrainian firms, Drone Spices and Kara Dag Technologies, are developing new detectors. Also: what kind of anti-drone missiles will Frankenburg Technologies send for testing in Ukraine?

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THE BIG STORY: HEADS UP.

Russia has dozens of different drones: Zala, Orlan, Lancet, Shahed and Mavic, just to name a few. Ukrainian engineers have developed detectors to sound the alarm on incoming reconnaissance or kamikaze drones.

How to detect FPV drones

There are three ways to detect incoming enemy drones: detect the radio signal from the drone to the operator; detect the signal from the operator to the drone; and detect data telemetry showing measurements for flying parameters.

Radio signals of FPV drones usually stick to three main frequency bands: 1.3, 3.2 and 5.8 GHz (DJI Mavics use 2.4 or 5.8 Ghz for example). Currently, the least popular frequency is 3.2 Ghz, said Ivan Frankiv, CMO of Kara Dag Technologies, which produces Obriy detectors. 

The video feed from a drone is almost always not secured, so a detector can pick up not only the signal from a drone to its operator, but also the drone’s video. 

The only difference between a drone detector and the operator’s video receiver is that a detector picks up the signal and sounds an alarm.

The most popular way of detecting drones is by detecting the video signal from the drone to the operator. The Dzyga detector can even see what the enemy drone operator sees. If soldiers know their terrain well, they can prepare and either destroy the drone or hide from it, said the developer of this product, Serhii, who goes by the call sign ‘Everest.’

Depending on the environment, a drone detector can find targets at distances ranging from a few hundred meters to more than 10 km. The fewer the number of obstacles, the better the signal. The detector triggers an alarm when it picks up a drone signal, and depending on the product, the detector may identify the type of drone.

The range is also affected by friendly EW and the presence of friendly drone operators nearby.  To prevent detection of friendly equipment, the soldier can change the sensitivity of the device, said Dmytro Selin, the inventor of Tsukorok (Sugar cube) and Vanilla Sugar drone detectors, and the founder of Drone Spices, the company that produces them.

How to detect Zala, Supercam and Orlan drones

The Vanilla Sugar drone detector can detect kamikaze reconnaissance and attack drones. Each Russian drone has its own characteristics in terms of the signals it emits. 

The detector takes into account several key factors:

• every drone has frequency hopping spectrum spreading (FHSS), which allows the drone to change frequencies in a specific way; this pattern is unique to each UAV; 

• the shape of the spectrum: how their signal looks visually on the screen; and 

• wavelength.

“Let’s say, [a Russian] Supercam flies at frequencies above 970 MHz, while the FHSS has 10–11 steps.” explained Selin. “The third factor is how much these bands are filled with signal: rarely or often. [We look at] how it is displayed on the spectrum. Putting it all together, we can establish that it is a Supercam.”

Why drone detectors are not the best options to detect Shahed

Russians attack Ukraine daily with Shahed kamikaze drones, but drone detectors are not useful for countering this.

The main reason for this is radio silence, explained Selin. The Shahed flies on a pre-programmed route and does not communicate with the operator during the flight. 

Theoretically, there is a way to track radiation from the engine and electronics, but that requires a sensitive tracking technology that has not yet been developed widely. 

“It's exotic to catch the signal of an engine's electrical radiation, and no one has measured their power, how far they can be caught,” explained Dmytro Selin. “That's why the main thing for the Shahed is sound and radar. They cannot be picked up by radio.”

Radar sends out electromagnetic signals and waits for them to bounce back from objects in the air. If something reflects the signal, the radar captures it and measures parameters like size, speed and movement. 

Sound detection is not as common for Shahed drones, but everyone in Ukraine knows how it sounds: like a loud motorcycle or lawn mower. That is why the Ukrainian startup Zvook has developed stations that can identify the sound of a drone or missile using AI. 

Russian drone detectors

The Russian army also uses drone detectors, the most common of which are the Bulat, Ares and Sonar detectors. Russia has no particular advantage or unique technological advantages: most Russian companies buy Chinese spare parts. The main challenge is organizing production and software.

“They usually respond to Ukrainian developments and are a little behind us in this,” said Everest. “We publish a post [in Telegram channel], and literally 30 minutes later it appears on Russian resources.”

Detection is moving toward versatility so that one detector can work across the entire range of frequencies. Most manufacturers buy parts in China, and if the Chinese start producing something new, it will appear in both Russian and Ukrainian markets, Everest and Frankiv said.

BUSINESS LUNCH TOPICS: What our reporting shows!

1. Obriy 1.4 drone detector under development. The product will be able to detect different types of drones at new frequency ranges, said Ivan Frankiv, CMO of Kara Dag Technologies. 

The company is raising another $1.2 million to gradually integrate new functionalities:

• AI, which will be able to identify types of drones by sending information to a server;

• Mapping to find the location of an enemy drone operator by triangulation;

• Creation of a network to allow detectors to transmit information to each other and warn of a threat.

Obriy 1.4 is slated for release next spring.

2. New details on the antidrone missiles Frankenburg Technology is sending to Ukraine.

11 days ago, the Ukrainian MoD announced that the army will receive antidrone missiles for testing on the battlefield. It will be able to shoot down slow and low-flying drones, including Russian Shaheds, said Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technology.

“Our target is to develop missiles that will be economically more affordable than the targets themselves.” Salm told Counteroffensive.Pro. “This is the only way to stop this vicious circle.”

Earlier variants of the missile required a specific launcher. They anticipate developing a version to be used with MANPADs that will allow Ukrainians to use it in mobile fire groups. In the future, they are ready to cooperate with Ukrainian companies, said Calm. The MoD said the first deliveries should take place by the end of 2024.

3. Ukrainian company Drone Spices testing a new drone detector:

It will be able to detect across a wide range of frequencies, which will make detection a bit slower: ~5 seconds instead of ~1 second. But it also will have a bigger battery to work for up to 15 hours. Developers are testing a prototype, said Dmytro Selin, founder of Drone Spices.

“It’s like a step ahead. We want to make a product that will find drones on new frequencies that are not used yet. When we see that the level of effectiveness is ~70%, then we will start small-scale production.” said Selin.

4. Export control policies evolving: Last Thursday, another top-level Ukrainian government meeting on the issue was convened.

Ivan Havriliuk, new head of Interagency Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation and Export Control Policy, held a meeting for the first time since he was appointed. For now, the composition of the commission has not been changed. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine declined to provide any details about the meeting, because it was held in closed session.

In Collaboration with CENTRE.UA – Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1078 of September 20, 2024
Changes Introduced: Amends pilot project on creating and managing an information system for state export control.  

The main goal: To simplify the conditions and procedures for obtaining documents in the field of state export control electronically, while automating the process of processing and providing information on military/dual-use goods.

ON THE MOVE: Professional movement, promotions and industry news.

Know someone in the defense tech space who has made a professional move? Drop us a line at [email protected]! 

• Artem Romanyukov, a Ukrainian officer, has been officially appointed as a Director of the Digital Transformation Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. He started working in June, but the appointment took place only now. He’s working on the digitalization of the army. 

• Frankenburg Technologies hired former commander of U.S. army V corps retired lieutenant general John S. Kolasheski as a strategic adviser.

• Ukrainian drone and optics company Odd Systems is hiring pilots, a COO, robotics engineers and operations managers.

• Frontline, a company specialized in AI, is looking for an embedded C engineer, ML engineer, robotics tech lead, operations manager and UAV assemblers.

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