Roark Aerospace has completed the full commercial launch of its fully self-contained “Aero-Ark” drone detection system.
The Aero-Ark is a static or mobile unit that utilizes bespoke forward scatter detection, artificial intelligence and packet sniffing to detect drone incursions and provide live tracking and identifier information.
The system is modular, meaning hosts can utilize one or both of the detection mechanisms to provide either a full service solution or to compliment existing solutions.
Forward scatter analysis involves detecting changes in the radio waves between the onboard receiver and multiple LEO/MEO satellites. Multiple RF protocols are used, including VHF, UHF, L-Band and GNSS to ensure continuous, fail-proof coverage.
Any changes to the expected radio wave are passed through AI algorithms via the on-board FPGA to determine if the variation relates to a drone incursion and if it does, the on-going behavior of the drone. The forward scatter analysis systems gives a vastly increased range over traditional channel scanning methodologies.
Packet Sniffing involves the continuous scanning of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels to detect and decrypt broadcast packets made by drones. The Aero-Ark has been proven to detect and decrypt on both enhanced WiFi and Occusync across 99.8% of commercially available drones.
These packets provide vital information to identify and track drones within a 3-5 mile radius. The Aero-Ark utilizes omni-directional antenna which deliver a 360 degree scanning methodology from a single unit.
As for connectivity, the Aero-Ark has LTE, SATCOM, PoE and WiFi capabilities which enable a backhaul of data to existing systems from anywhere in the world. This includes the conversion of broadcast packets into formats, such as ASTERIX.
For those with the required authorisations, the Aero-Ark can also deploy counter UAS measures on a manual or automated basis. In addition to being deployable through the outright purchase of Aero-Ark units, Roark Aerospace also offer the following deployment options:
Rapid-Deployment Units
Hosts can utilize a rapid-deployment unit at short notice, including on-site setup for a fixed amount of time or on a rolling basis. This vastly reduces capex and allows deployments to specifically match the user requirements.
Aero-Ark as a Service
Currently covering 70 cities worldwide and growing at a rate of 20% per month, Aero-Ark as a Service sees Roark-Aerospace deploy units at prime locations in cities around the world, providing both forward scatter analysis and packet sniffing as a service for hosts within a specific radius of the deployment.
Internally named the “Iron Drone”, Roark-Aerospace are aiming to have installations covering all major cities around the world in the next 12 months, giving access to drone detection at a fraction of the cost of a physical deployment.
