Counter-UAS at “Airpower 2024”: Bundesheer and Aaronia protected Europe's largest air show

With 206 aircraft from more than 20 nations – 40 of them provided by the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer), 37 by the Flying Bulls – “Airpower 2024” confirmed its status as Europe's largest air show. Where so many people gather, protecting spectators and participants is the top priority. Counter-UAS is a key element of this.

Protection is needed above all against illegal drones. Only then can spectators safely enjoy the breathtaking displays by aerobatic teams and display pilots, the Flying Bulls and the Eurofighters of the Austrian Bundesheer.

ELDRO and Aartos: networked counter-UAS

Within the Bundesheer, responsibility lies with the element “Electronic Warfare for Counter-Drone Defence” (ELDRO). Its specialists have been working with the Aartos DDS sensor system since 2018, manufacturer Aaronia says in a recent press release, adding: “After the successful cooperation at ‘Airpower 2022’, it was only natural that the Bundesheer would once again be supported by Aaronia's experts in the task of protecting the event from drones.”

Aaronia Austria had brought along a mast equipped with a sensor, radar and camera. Together with the existing system it formed a detection network – and this is precisely where, according to the company, Aartos was able to “play to one of its many strengths – the simple integration of different components into one system, on a modular principle”.

New this year was a fully automatic 28-metre mast system carrying an Aartos X9 as a high-performance high-frequency (HF) sensor. Aaronia describes the benefit as follows: “The system not only takes the existing monitoring of the entire spectrum to a new level, it also simplifies handling considerably once again”.

Stephan Kraschansky, CEO of Aaronia Austria, explains: “An air show like ‘Airpower 2024’, with its very demanding topographical conditions, is an event at which our mobile Aartos solution can fully play to its strengths”. And further: “Our system is ready for use within a few minutes. Thanks to the RTSA Suite Pro software, the command centre enables seamless 360-degree monitoring, far beyond the defined no-fly zone. It detects more than 99 percent of all commercial drones, even if they are pre-programmed.”

There had been numerous detections at F1 and MotoGP; the subsequent intensive media work had an effect, as not a single drone was sighted during the air show itself. Only on the evening before “Airpower” were there a few incidents with drones, all of which were successfully countered. As the system also determines the home/launch position to within five metres, the military police can, if necessary, pinpoint the respective operator.