Drone detection from the air: Aaronia presents Aartos Hawk T1 payload at Eurosatory

German RF specialist Aaronia presented its latest drone detection system at Eurosatory, the world's largest defence fair. The Aartos Hawk T1 is designed as a payload for drones and weighs only five kilograms.

At its core is the Spectran V6 real-time spectrum analyser covering frequencies from 10 MHz to 8 GHz, optionally also from 9 kHz to 18 GHz. A built-in atomic clock locates even weak signals very precisely using time difference of arrival (TDOA) technology. Without a GPS signal, the atomic clock still ensures the necessary accuracy. To resynchronise, the Hawk T1 needs just one time stamp from one GPS satellite, eliminating accumulated deviations from real time (in the nanosecond range).

In practice, a network of just three Hawk T1 payload systems reliably geolocates LoRa-based drone ground stations as well as encrypted, previously unknown and even moving signals at distances of up to 75 kilometres to an area of around 40×40 metres.

Users can also define their own signal patterns and search for them. This also reveals unknown or non-standard protocols.

Drone detection with a situational picture from above

Stephan Kraschansky, Chief Defense & Government Solutions Officer at Aaronia AG, assessed the new solution:

With the Hawk T1, we are taking the Aartos situational picture into the air for the first time – creating a new quality of situational awareness that no ground-based system can even approach.— Stephan Kraschansky, Aaronia AG

High-value systems can also be precisely located – such as expensive, high-precision radars usually hidden far behind the front lines. The Aartos Hawk T1 can be integrated into Aaronia's existing electronic warfare (EW) systems and into its software (RTSA).

Existing X9 systems can join the TDOA network via software update, without additional hardware. The first 100 units are scheduled for delivery this year. According to Aaronia, interest from European countries and NATO states is already high.