In this SJA exclusive, Digital Content Editor Eve Goode speaks with Curtis Walters, Vice President of Commercial Sales at Echodyne about the current drone threat landscape.
Just in the last four years, the threat landscape has changed dramatically.
Not that long ago, vendors were trying to expand awareness of the emerging threats and educate users on being prepared. Today, you can turn on the news each night and immediately understand the severity of the threats we are experiencing
Unauthorized drones have significantly increased the risk to critical infrastructure, airspace and other sensitive areas. These platforms are now very low cost but extremely effective weapons and they are being used continuously in every major conflict today.
Each day, they are making their way closer to our homeland, evidenced by recently reported incidents and the attention drones and drone detection technologies are receiving at a federal level.
In 2024 alone, there were more than 350 incidents across over 100 US military installations and that number continues to grow.
Airports are also reporting a sharp increase in drone interference. In Q1 of 2025 alone, there were more than 400 illegal drone incidents reported in the US.
Drone interference at airports can result in temporary flight restrictions or TFR violations which cause major disruptions for travellers.
We have also seen several high-profile events abroad including incidents at Munich Airport in October 2025 and Copenhagen Airport in September 2025.
These events forced airport shutdowns, delayed flights and left hundreds of people stranded.
In the US, drones are also regularly used for contraband delivery into prisons. A Georgia bust revealed a deep network of criminals intent on delivering drugs, phones and more.
When these items get in the hands of the incarcerated, it compromises the health and safety of everyone at the facility.
We are also noticing that many of the drones involved are very inexpensive. A $1000 drone carrying payload can cause millions of dollars in damage and it has become clear that drones are the weapon of choice in modern conflict.
Even without a kinetic threat, drones in secure areas can cause significant disruption – simply by being present in the airspace.
One of the key advantages of radar is that it detects everything that is moving. High-performance radar can help make classification distinctions – like drones from birds – which helps security teams focus on threats not noise.
Radar works by actively emitting a radio signal and listening for its return which makes it effective in all weather conditions, day or night and across a wide area. As a result, radar has become a fundamental sensor for detecting movement in airspace.
Traditional platforms such as RF sensors are used to detect the control signal between the operator and the drone. That information can be useful, but we have found that RF detection can be easily spoofed or avoided.
Because of this, radar has become the preferred sensor since it detects everything and it is not RF signal dependent.
Once radar detects a drone, for example from two kilometers away, we can cue a camera to visually identify the potential threat which allows operators to have eyes on the target.
Radar’s ability to operate in all weather conditions, day and night across a broad range with high accuracy is critical today, especially as bad actors become increasingly sophisticated in avoiding traditional detection methods.
One tactic bad actors use is deploying non-signal-emitting, or “dark”, drones. Radar can detect when other sensors can’t because radar relies on movement rather than visual or RF signatures.
Radar will detect dark drones based on movement alone and can further detect drone propeller wash and air displacement to increase classification confidence.
When we look at which areas require the most attention, we need to focus on those where the impact would be greatest.
High priority areas are typically the main targets.
There are incidents daily involving contraband drops into prisons and it is no longer just entrepreneurial inmates; many of these operations are cartel funded.
Currently, venues and stadiums are top of mind because they host mass gatherings. With the 2026 World Cup rapidly approaching, it is critical that these public spaces are protected against any type of drone threat.
Historically, these locations were less active in counter UAS efforts due to limited mitigation capabilities, but recent legislation has changed that and security professionals are having to come up to speed quickly on what makes effective drone detection and protection.
We are also aware of a steady increase in drone incidents around government facilities, defense sites and military bases.
While some federal funding deadlines have passed, equipment selection for layered counter UAS and airspace control systems is still in progress.
Security teams at the federal, state and local levels are looking to maximize visibility around stadiums and high traffic fan areas.
To be effective, organizations should harden their security posture with a drone detection solution that includes integrate high-performance radar, RF detector and a camera system that can be deployed quickly during the event and potentially remain useful after the World Cup has ended.
For the first time, state and local law enforcement will be given the ability to mitigate drones – which is a major development.
Mitigation can be accomplished in several ways including signal disruption or capturing the drone.
Safe and effective mitigation require proven drone detection technologies and operators who have been extensively trained by federal agencies to understand exactly how to respond when an unmanned drone enters a stadium environment.
Once trained, state and local law enforcement will have full authority to mitigate drones detected near stadiums during matches and respond immediately to interference.
My first piece of advice is to educate yourself as much as possible. Speak with peers, partners and vendors regularly because the threat is evolving rapidly.
I have seen situations where a lack of information resulted in solutions being deployed that were already outdated by the time they were installed.
Understanding your risk is absolutely critical. Start with a risk assessment of your facility because each location attracts different threats which informs where additional protection is needed.
Key questions to ask include:
How do I build an effective drone detection and mitigation system? An effective drone detection and mitigation system requires a layered approach, a fusion of sensor technologies.
Each sensor (radar, RF, camera) has strengths and weaknesses.
Multiple sensors integrated with intelligent software – that ideally leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence – creates a solution that checks all the boxes: detects in all weather conditions, day or night; enables security teams to get eyes on the object for threat confirmation; enables detection of signal and pilot location; records accurate threat locations and systems data for mitigation, incident interrogation or lawful prosecution.
Organizations must also ensure they can detect dark drones and sophisticated bad actors because traditional detection methods can be easily bypassed by well-funded adversaries; radar is the only sensor that guarantees detection of these types of drones.
Integration is equally important. Security operators do not want to learn five different user interfaces. They want solutions that integrate with existing systems such as alarms and video management platforms so there is minimal disruption.
Once systems are integrated, operators must test repeatedly.
I have seen situations where a simple DJI drone triggers every nearby sensor which confirms detection.
However, a signal emitting drone doesn’t test the limits of sensors that rely on drone signal emission. This presents a testing challenge – most drone available for testing are signal-emitting; it’s usually only the bad actors that are flying dark.
As a Part 107 pilot, I do not advocate flying an illegal dark drone. However, testing can still be done legally by working with partners who can fly dark drones, which helps end users evaluate how systems perform when RF detection is limited.
The key message is that organizations must thoroughly test their threat environment for all perceived risk and threat factors while staying within the law.
And to create a robust security posture, it is imperative to get educated early and test early – before funding deadlines hit.