Feldwache Request a call
Knowledge

Choosing drone detection. Methods, criteria, cost drivers

Drone detection for factories, substations, stadiums and prisons. Five methods, false alarms, cost drivers and ten questions to ask before buying.

Updated 6 Sep 2026Reading time about 9 minutes

Drone detection means detecting, locating and tracking drones in the airspace over a site. For private operators in Germany it is the permitted part of counter-drone defence. Jamming, taking over or shooting down has been the job of the police and the armed forces since the amendment of the German Aviation Security Act of 17 March 2026. This article is written for security providers, in-house security and operators who are choosing detection technology or preparing a market survey. A market survey is a non-binding query of what the market can deliver, before a contract is put out to tender.

Radio detection listens to the control channel

Most drones talk to their controller by radio and send video back. Radio sensors pick up these signals, mostly in the 2.4 and 5.8 gigahertz bands. They recognise known models by their radio pattern. With several antennas they can also locate the pilot. Whoever finds the pilot can send the police to the right spot. The limit lies with drones that have no radio link. A pre-programmed drone, or a drone on a fibre-optic cable, transmits nothing and stays invisible. In Zaporizhzhia in 2024 and 2025 we saw how quickly attackers switch to fibre optics once radio detection and jamming take effect. WLAN and Bluetooth also produce false alarms. Typical uses are factories, prisons and events where commercial drones are the main threat.

Radar also sees silent drones

A radar transmits itself and measures the echo. It detects any flying object, even without radio, at night and in bad weather. Its weakness is classification. A small drone throws back an echo similar to a bird. Modern radars therefore analyse the movement of the rotors and separate bird from drone that way. This does not work at every distance. Radar needs a clear view, power and, in Germany, a frequency assignment from the Federal Network Agency. Typical uses are large open areas such as substations, power plants, ports and airports.

Cameras and thermal imaging confirm, acoustics hears around corners

Optical sensors and thermal cameras deliver the image a human can judge. They show whether the drone carries a load. On their own they detect drones poorly, because their field of view is small and fog, backlight and darkness limit them. In practice a camera swings to where radio or radar has reported something. It serves confirmation and evidence.

Acoustic sensors hear the rotor noise. They work passively, need little power and function without a line of sight, even behind buildings. The Fraunhofer IDMT quotes ranges of 50 to 200 metres for its system, depending on ambient noise, as of 13 November 2025. At an airport, in a stadium or next to a busy road little of that remains. Typical uses are small, quiet sites and the gaps between other sensors.

Remote ID delivers an identifier, but only from rule-abiding drones

Remote ID is a data signal with which a drone identifies itself. Since 1 January 2024, drones of classes C1, C2 and C3 in the EU must broadcast this signal. They transmit their serial number, the operator number, their position and their launch point via WLAN or Bluetooth. A receiver delivers an immediate match. The limit is obvious. Anyone who builds a drone themselves, switches the module off or uses an older device transmits nothing. So Remote ID identifies the well-meaning and the careless, not the attacker. As an add-on the receiver is still useful, because it explains harmless flights immediately.

No single method is enough

Every method has a blind spot. Radio does not see silent drones. Radar cannot reliably tell drone from bird. Cameras need a cue where to look. Acoustics only reaches a few hundred metres. Remote ID depends on the pilot's goodwill. A usable system therefore combines at least two methods and merges the reports into one situation picture. Providers such as Dedrone, Aaronia, Hensoldt, Securiton and Droniq offer such combinations. The question for the operator is not which provider is best, but which gap the site needs to close.

In the end, a human assesses the false alarms

Every system reports more than is actually dangerous. Birds, WLAN devices, your own inspection flight and the hobby pilot at the fence all trigger alerts. What matters is who assesses the report. That is the monitoring centre or the shift leader on site. They need a clear picture, a reporting chain and a rule for when to call the police. A system with fifty alerts a night is ignored after two weeks. That is why the false alarm rate on your own site belongs among the most important things to check before buying.

Every type of site makes different demands

An industrial plant has many buildings, its own radio sources and often its own inspection drones. Here radio detection with pilot locating and a register of your own flights count. A substation lies in the open, unmanned and far from the monitoring centre. Here radar, remote connection and weather resistance count. The market survey by grid operator TenneT of 20 April 2026 explicitly names locations from Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria and platforms in the North Sea. A stadium is loud, crowded and in use only a few days a year. Here short setup times, radio detection and coordination with the police, who handle the defence, count. A prison mainly wants to prevent drops and find pilots. Lower Saxony counted eighteen drone smuggling cases in 2021 and then procured mobile detection systems, press release of 27 September 2022. For airports, the amended Aviation Security Act has made the federal police responsible nationwide for detection and defence since 17 March 2026. Operators there no longer procure on their own.

Costs hang on area, sensors and staff

There is no price list here, because every site is different. The orders of magnitude can still be named. A single radio system for events is quoted by prosecurity.de in 2025 at clearly below 100,000 euros for the Aartos X2. Networked installations sit, according to ki-syndikat.de for Dedrone, in the six-figure range per location up to the low millions. Five factors drive the price. First, the area and the number of sensors covering it. Second, the link to the existing monitoring centre and the alarm management. Third, maintenance, software updates and spare parts over the term. Fourth, the staff who assess around the clock. Fifth, the training, so the shift knows what to do with an alert. At many sites, staff and maintenance exceed the purchase price after a few years.

What a market survey asks of providers

TenneT published a Europe-wide market survey for drone detection and tracking on 20 April 2026. It is explicitly not a bidding procedure but a non-binding market analysis with a questionnaire. It is considered suitable for small and medium-sized companies. The pattern is typical. An operator first asks about methods, ranges on its own terrain and the link to existing systems. Only then comes the award procedure. The federal interior ministry's tender for detection systems at four airports of 4 August 2026 shows the other side. There the government demanded references with security authorities, a minimum turnover and a bank guarantee. An operator writing a market survey should name the threat, the shape of the site, the monitoring centre and the desired response time.

Ten questions before you choose

  1. Which drones do you expect, commercial models or self-built ones without radio?
  2. Which area and which altitude must the system cover?
  3. Which methods does the offer combine and which gap stays open?
  4. How high is the false alarm rate in a trial run on your own site?
  5. Does the system locate the pilot or only the drone?
  6. How does the alert reach your monitoring centre and who assesses it at night?
  7. Which frequency assignment does a radar need at your location?
  8. Which data does the system store and for how long, also with a view to data protection?
  9. What do maintenance, software and spare parts cost over five years?
  10. Who trains your shift and who keeps the reporting chain up to date?

What this means for operators

You may detect, locate, document and report. The technology is available, the providers are known. The difference between an effective and an expensive system lies not in the sensor. It lies in the fit to the site and in the reporting chain behind it. Clarify the threat, the area and the monitoring centre first. Demand a trial run and count the false alarms. Define who calls the police, and when. Then drone detection becomes a situation picture your staff can work with.

Frequently asked questions

Is drone detection legal for private operators in Germany?
Yes. Detecting, locating, documenting and reporting are permitted. Jamming, taking over and shooting down remain reserved for the police and the armed forces.

Is a radio sensor on its own enough?
For commercial drones often yes, for pre-programmed or fibre-optic drones no. If you want to cover both, add radar or acoustics.

Can a radar tell birds from drones?
Partly. Radars analyse the rotor movement and separate many cases that way. With small targets at long range a remainder is left for a camera or a human to clarify.

What does Remote ID contribute to detection?
Rule-abiding drones of classes C1 to C3 have broadcast their identifier since 2024. That explains harmless flights quickly. Attackers do not transmit.

Who is responsible at airports?
Since 17 March 2026 the federal police, nationwide for detection and defence.

Do you recommend a provider?
No. We sell no systems and represent no manufacturer. We help you formulate requirements and compare offers.

Sources

Back to the overview

Further articles

Knowledge

Counter-drone measures in Germany. Who may do what

The legal situation for counter-drone measures in Germany, 2026. Private operators may detect, report and document. Jamming, intercepting and shooting down are reserved for the armed forces and the police.
Knowledge

Counter-drone measures explained. Detect, identify, respond

What counter-drone defence is, how detection, identification, assessment and response connect, and who in Germany may do what.
Knowledge

Interceptor drones explained. What they are, who uses them, what operators need to know

Interceptor drones explained. How they work, the types, their use in Ukraine, the legal situation in Germany and the role of operators and security providers.

Inquiry

Describe your situation in a few sentences. We reply within one business day and clarify in a call whether and how we can support you.

Request a call +49 176 70710097
Or call us directly
Jan Bamesberger
Geschäftsführer, Feldwache
+49 176 70710097
info@iqonex.de
Montag bis Freitag, 9 bis 17 Uhr