Taufkirchen/Germany. HENSOLDT and Aero Network DMI are pleased to announce their collaboration in the field of Situational Awareness of drones for helicopter crews.

The CLEARDRONE detector, a product of Aero Network DMI, is a handy mobile device that can be easily stowed. It detects drones at a distance of up to four kilometres. By connecting a dongle to the RN7 DMG, the EuroNav system is now able to receive drone alerts from the detector and display them on its moving map. The connection of both systems is wireless, so that the detector can be stowed anywhere in the cabin. The information received enables drones in the same local airspace to be displayed, increasing the cockpit crew’s situational awareness.

“Remote-controlled drones always give themselves away by their emitted signals, and over long distances. The detector is able to analyse these signals and determine the drone type and manufacturer based on the individual signature,” explains Jens Rosenow, Managing Director of Aero Network DMI GmbH, to which the CLEARDRONE label belongs. Although the 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz frequency bands are used by countless transmitters, CLEARDRONE’s detector reliably recognises a consumer drone by the frequency pattern it emits.

“Once the detector is on board, the aircraft is circumferentially protected. The detector thus forms a protective zone around the aircraft or helicopter,” says Arend Wedekind, Head of Sales from HENSOLDT Avionics. HENSOLDT’s EuroNav system visualises the distances of the detected drone and displays them in various gradations, giving the pilot sufficient time to make a decision on whether to continue the flight.

To ensure that future drone models can also be reliably detected, the artificial intelligence on board the detector is constantly being further developed and kept up to date. “Via regular updates, the signatures of the new drones are uploaded virtually. This way, the customer can be sure that he is always optimally protected from drones,” Arend Wedekind further explains.