Drone tracking systems are designed to detect, identify, and monitor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in real-time, supporting a range of operational requirements.
By using technologies such as RF sensing, radar, visual imaging, and acoustic detection, these systems provide situational awareness across military, commercial, and civil sectors. Their core applications include counter-UAS operations, unmanned traffic management (UTM), and UAV recovery.
Counter-UAS Operations
In counter-UAS scenarios, drone tracking systems serve to identify unauthorized or potentially hostile UAVs that breach restricted airspace. These systems enable early warning through real-time detection and can trigger a variety of responses, such as issuing alerts, activating jamming systems, or deploying intercepting drones. The integration of multiple sensor modalities, RF detectors, radar tracking, visual confirmation, and acoustic analysis enhances accuracy and broadens detection coverage. This layered approach improves response effectiveness and supports decision-making within command and control (C2) systems.
Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM)
With increasing drone traffic in national and urban airspace, drone tracking plays a critical role in UTM systems. By delivering real-time location data, these systems help coordinate UAV operations and prevent airspace conflicts. This data allows UTM platforms to maintain safe separation between unmanned and manned aircraft and enforce dynamic airspace restrictions. Technologies like Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) are being adapted for use with UAVs, allowing drones to transmit flight position and intent data for improved coordination and deconfliction within shared airspace.
UAV Recovery
Tracking systems are also used to locate UAVs that have lost communication or experienced a system malfunction. By continuously capturing and relaying position data, these systems enable operators to determine the drone’s last known location, aiding recovery teams in locating and retrieving the asset. This capability is particularly valuable in military operations and critical infrastructure inspections, where the loss of a UAV can lead to data compromise or operational disruption. For commercial operators, reliable recovery reduces downtime and helps maintain fleet integrity.