Tel Aviv: European countries are evaluating the system developed by Israeli company R2 Wireless used for the detection of drones.
The failure of Israeli radar based systems to detect armed drones launched by the Hezbollah in Lebanon to hit military installations and cities calls for other detection systems.
The company recently took part in an exercise with NATO nations.
According to the company its systems are deployed across the globe, including military bases in NATO countries, sensitive locations in German cities, sites in Israel, and other undisclosed areas.
“Detection is the biggest challenge, not interception — because you can’t effectively intercept the threat in time if you don’t know what you’re looking for and where it is,” Yiftach Richter, the company’s founder and CTO told Raksha Anirveda.
Since the war broke out on October 7, 2023 the Iranian proxies in Lebanon, and in Yemen used armed drones to attack Israel. In spite of the fact that Israel has a multi-tiered air defence system, it managed to intercept only a small number of the armed drones. This forced Israel in some cases to scramble fighter aircraft and helicopters to try and intercept the drones.
Tracking rogue drones is a growing challenge, especially in bad weather. Traditional tools like cameras and radar often struggle in these conditions—they work well on clear days in open areas but lose accuracy, during fog, rain, or snow, and with drones flying low. They can also trigger too many false alarms.
Israeli company, R2 Wireless, has developed a groundbreaking solution that detects drone activity by picking up their unique radio (RF) signals. Unlike radar or cameras, this system works in urban areas and can identify not only the drone’s location but also its type, model, and even its operator. It has already been used to protect borders, cities, and critical infrastructure worldwide.
According to the company, its system is also effective against First Person View (FPV) that are controlled by an operator that is getting a video from the drone’s camera and showed on special video glasses. These drones have been used extensively in Ukraine and are becoming a fast growing threat.
With just one example, the system can recognise and classify a new drone threat, thanks to its AI-powered algorithms. This makes it ideal for keeping up with constantly evolving drone technology, says the company.
By focusing on drone communication signals, R2’s solution is easy to deploy and doesn’t require expensive hardware. R2’s technology could help secure sensitive areas like military bases, nuclear plants, borders, and other high-risk sites, offering a smarter way to manage drone threats.
According to R2 Wireless, its robust signal processing extracts distinct analog and digital properties from each signal using patented RF fingerprinting methods. This makes it possible to detect and record reoccurring risks and to uniquely identify wireless devices.
In its official releases, R2 says that advanced scholarly research in wireless communication, signal processing, machine learning, and estimation theory forms the foundation of R2’s core competency.
“Thanks to years of research and development, R2’s technology guarantees accurate detection, categorisation, and geolocation with few false alarms,” it states.
The company’s low-power, small-footprint sensing technology offers constant, high-resolution defence against malicious activity, as per the company’s official releases.
“R2 fortifies military sites, stations, and assets against security breaches and guarantees excellent perimeter defence. Real-time threat detection, geolocation, and signaling enables the perimeter to be secured with efficient preventative measures,” according to the company statement.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
