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From the battlefield to civilian skies: Adapting airspace security for public events

Robin Radar — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:30:00 GMT

With the FIFA World Cup 2026™ underway, the need to safeguard stadiums, transport hubs, and surrounding infrastructure has never been more complex.

Tens of thousands of fans, players, and staff are converging on host cities, creating dense targets for anyone seeking to cause disruption. Traditional security measures such as crowd control, perimeter fencing, and surveillance cameras remain essential, but are no longer sufficient against evolving aerial threats.

Small, commercially available drones are low-cost, portable, and capable of traveling long distances, carrying payloads that can disrupt operations or endanger lives. A single drone operated remotely can halt flights, delay teams, and pose safety hazards to thousands in minutes.

Disruptions at Gatwick Airport and Brussels Airport, where drone sightings grounded flights and impacted tens of thousands of passengers, demonstrate how even limited drone activity can halt critical infrastructure.

The urgency to anticipate, detect, and neutralise these threats is driving a rapid transformation in how governments and event organisers approach security. Lessons from Ukraine, where drones have been tested in real combat scenarios, are informing strategies for protecting major events.

By translating battlefield experience into civilian operations, authorities are developing systems that combine advanced technology, real-time awareness, and rapid response to create a safer environment for public gatherings.

The rise of asymmetric aerial threats

Fixed-wing drones like the Shahed-136 demonstrate how inexpensive systems can inflict significant damage without requiring large budgets or direct physical presence. For World Cup security planners, this shifts the focus entirely: conventional weapons are no longer the primary threat.

A single drone can disrupt flight operations, delay teams and fans, and pose serious safety risks to thousands attending matches. Recent intelligence warnings in the United States illustrate how seriously this risk is now being treated, with an FBI memo highlighting the possibility of drone attacks targeting California from offshore launch points, even though no specific or imminent threat was identified.

The importance of early detection

Detecting and tracking these threats before they reach critical venues is essential. Systems like Robin’s 3D drone radar IRIS provide persistent, 360° coverage, identifying, tracking, and classifying even small, fast-moving aerial objects.

Rapid improvements in such systems, driven by operational necessity in real-world conflicts across Ukraine and the Gulf, demonstrate how battlefield innovations are outpacing the development cycles of domestic security forces.

Advanced sensing and real-time airspace awareness are critical for protecting mobile operations and crowded venues. Remote drone operation complicates attribution, making rapid detection and situational awareness indispensable for effective response.

Applying battlefield lessons to civilian events

The FIFA World Cup 26 highlights how governments are applying lessons from modern conflicts onto civilian security.

The danger is far from theoretical; global sports organizations are already confronting the operational chaos caused by illicit drone activity.

The FBI's Counter Drone Enforcement Team has already cited operators and seized several drones after they violated temporary flight restrictions during the World Cup events near SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Also the NFL has witnessed a dramatic escalation in unauthorized flights, with nearly 3,000 incursions reported over secured stadiums each year.

Significant events, including prolonged delays during high-stakes playoff games at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, have demonstrated that a lone, commercial drone can force a total halt to play, jeopardizing fan safety and disrupting massive commercial operations in an instant.

Stadiums, fan zones, airports, and transport hubs must now anticipate drone disruptions that could interfere with logistics, delay operations and live broadcasts, or endanger large crowds. Protecting these events requires a layered, dynamic approach, integrating multiple detection and response systems across all zones of operation.

From battlefield to civilian airspace

Experiences in Ukraine and the Gulf are accelerating the evolution of airspace defence at a rate no one could have predicted.

Cheap, fast, and highly maneuverable drones have forced governments to rethink traditional air defence, applying technologies once reserved only for live fire environments to safeguard public life.

By adopting layered, resilient, and intelligent systems, security planners can protect major events while mitigating the asymmetric risks drones present.

The modern era

Protecting civilian airspace today demands the mindset and technology once reserved for war. Even small drones can have enormous operational impact.

Yet, the future of airspace security will not be defined by detection alone. As drone threats become more sophisticated, the challenge increasingly lies in transforming awareness into action.

For governments, critical infrastructure operators, and event organisers, success will depend on combining advanced sensing technologies with effective operational procedures, trained personnel, and coordinated response mechanisms. The organisations that can integrate these elements effectively will be best positioned to address the evolving drone threat landscape.

For the FIFA World Cup, and for cities hosting large public gatherings, lessons from real-world conflicts are helping shape a safer future, where crowds can enjoy events while emerging aerial threats are monitored, detected, and neutralised in real time.

To help protect stadiums during this year’s FIFA World Cup, we’ve partnered with the U.S. Government and State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) law enforcement to deploy more than 30 IRIS drone radars, supporting wider counter-UAS operations in North America for the event.

The main event: How to protect stadiums from the drone threat

Robin Radar — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:11:25 GMT

From gripping sports fixtures to unforgettable live performances, few venues capture collective excitement quite like the modern stadium.
Designed to accommodate vast audiences and stage ambitious productions, these architectural landmarks have become enduring symbols of shared experience, celebration, and spectacle.

But they also attract an increasingly modern challenge: drones.

Reckless fun or dangerous disruption, drones are always an unwanted intrusion at stadiums. Once a novelty for hobbyists, today drones have become a powerful tool and a formidable threat.
In 2025, approximately 5.4 million drones were shipped worldwide, and by 2030, this figure is projected to reach 10.2 million. They’re small, fast, capable of flying into critical airspace undetected by traditional cameras and elusive to the naked eye.

The growing drone threat raises serious questions about the measures stadiums must take to strengthen security against drones, ensuring these venues remain places of celebration, not risk.

The rise of the drone

Drones offer unprecedented accessibility. Compact, affordable, and easy to operate, they are no longer confined to specialised use.

Unfortunately, the democratisation of drone technology comes with risks:

Safety hazards: A drone malfunction over a packed stadium could lead to injuries.
Security concerns: Drones can bypass physical barriers, posing a threat to players, performers, and fans.
Privacy invasion: Unauthorised drones can capture sensitive images or live-stream events, infringing on copyrights or personal privacy.
Political demonstration: Drones have been used increasingly to display disruptive messages of propaganda, particularly at events heavily covered by the media.
Malicious use: In the wrong hands, drones could deliver harmful payloads or disrupt events intentionally.

Drones leave security teams no room for second-guessing. Careless amateur or targeted attack, a drone incursion at stadiums must be handled with speed and precision every single time.

Why stadiums are a prime target

Stadiums offer large, open designs that make them hard to shield from above, and their high-profile nature ensures any disruption attracts maximum attention. Whether it’s unauthorised recordings or malicious activity, the stakes are high when people are gathered in the hundreds of thousands.

It’s something we all saw in 2023 at the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, Turkey. During the match between Manchester City and Inter Milan, a drone entered the airspace above the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, disrupting the event. Security officials swiftly neutralised the UAS using counter-drone technology.

Then, in 2024, the stage drew silent at a Green Day Concert in Detroit. The show paused abruptly as an unauthorised drone was detected flying overhead. The band returned on stage 10 minutes later and the drone pilot was detained, facing a fine of up to $30,000.

In early 2025, focus shifted to Twickenham Stadium during a high-stakes Six Nations rugby match. In front of a crowd of 80,000 fans, an illicit drone carrying a protest banner breached the stadium’s perimeter and hovered directly over the pitch. After some disruption, it was taken down using a handheld RF jammer.

Incidents like these are just a few of many that highlight the persistent risks posed by unauthorised drone activity at high-profile events.

Neutralising the drone threat

No single sensor can detect, track, classify and neutralise drones. It takes several, working in absolute harmony to tackle the evasive drone and its unpredictable pilot.

Radar for counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) is capable of detecting targets within its broad range, acting as the primary sensor to alert and cue others within this specialised ecosystem.

A good example is the Paris 2024 Olympics, which was protected from potential drone threats by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA). As part of the event’s advanced anti-drone PARADE system, developed by Thales in partnership with CS Group, our 3D drone radar IRIS was integrated to provide reliable airspace awareness.

We’re taking a similar approach this year, when IRIS is deployed as part of a wider C-UAS system to protect stadiums during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in the U.S.

In each case, our specialised drone radar forms part of a multi-layered defence system at venues, providing 360° coverage to accurately detect and classify drones.

Detection: CUAS radars can identify drones from kilometres away, distinguishing them from birds or other objects with specialised technologies.
Tracking: IRIS monitors movement in real-time, giving security teams accurate insight and critical response time.
Classification: With micro-doppler and deep neural networks (DNN), IRIS can accurately distinguish drones from other flying objects

Ensuring safe stadiums

Modern stadiums are marvels of architecture and hubs of shared human experience.

Protecting them from drones is not just the responsibility of security teams. It’s a collective effort requiring collaboration between technology providers, law enforcement, event organisers, and even governments.

Managing the drone threat takes relentless innovation and proactive collaboration, by which critical infrastructures, such as stadiums, can only benefit.

With comprehensive CUAS systems, stadiums can detect, track, and neutralise drone threats with precision, safeguarding the people and events that make these spaces so special.

Robin delivers initial hardware for Europe’s first-of-its-kind advanced weather radar

Robin Radar — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Robin Radar Systems has delivered the first TX tile prototype for PHARA, a first-of-its-kind advanced weather radar for Europe. Received by TU Delft in April, this inaugural hardware shipment marked a milestone moment for the highly advanced phased-array detection system.

Led by TU Delft, the PHARA project brings together a consortium of high-tech organisations to develop a fully 3D weather radar that can accurately track the movement and growth process of cloud particles and large-scale weather fronts, enabling deeper understanding of extreme weather incidents.

This initial TX tile represents one-fourteenth of the complete transmit phased-array antenna. With this crucial piece in place, the team at TU Delft can now begin first measurements on PHARA hardware.

“Delivering the first prototype to TU Delft enables accelerated research on polarimetric radars for weather applications. In partnership with TU Delft and with the help of the PHARA system, society can now push its understanding of atmospheric phenomena and validate the theoretical background of atmospheric process modeling.”

Guilherme Theis, Team Lead Antenna Arrays & RF, Robin Radar Systems

What the TX tile prototype facilitates

While traditional weather radars may take up to five minutes to scan the sky, a fully assembled phased-array antenna using TX and RX tiles can do the same thing in under a minute, giving crucial extra lead time during fast-moving severe weather events.

The TX tile prototype supplied is a modular, scalable building block for fast-scanning phased-array radar. Delivered alongside a workstation, chiller, and software, the prototype allows the team at TU Delft to begin measuring amplitude and phase from each single antenna element, as well as the full active tile array.

It also allows the team to check polarisations and pattern characteristics in different planes, see how they behave in relation to tile-probe relative orientation changes, and devise their own tests.

“The delivered TX tile represents the smallest, indivisible part of the final system, already showcasing some of its capabilities. After an extensive verification plan, and despite the delays encountered, we were able to confirm the communication chain and polarisation accuracy. This gives us a strong reason to believe we are on track and can now focus our efforts on the receiving tile.”

Bruno Sochacki, R&D Project Manager, Robin Radar Systems

The problem PHARA solves

With extreme weather events on the rise globally, the groundbreaking insights and full 3D resolution provided by PHARA will contribute to advancements in climate and atmosphere research and more precise weather forecasting.

In practice, the system is being developed to provide high-resolution data on the microphysical processes inside clouds and precipitation, which current instruments cannot.

PHARA achieves this by combining two powerful technologies: phased-array radar, which scans the atmosphere in multiple directions simultaneously, and polarisation diversity, which reveals shape, orientation, and phase of particles in clouds.

By integrating these two approaches, PHARA delivers a tenfold increase in update rate compared to conventional radars, while maintaining both range and Doppler resolution – enabling the precise tracking of rapidly evolving weather systems.

Technology built on collaboration

Bringing PHARA to life is a team effort. Working alongside Robin Radar Systems, the high-tech consortium pursuing this mission unites several organisations – TU Delft, TNO, KNMI, The University of Groningen, and ASTRON – with each contributing a unique specialisation to the collaboration.

As the first substantial PHARA hardware to arrive at TU Delft, the delivery of the TX tile prototype is a proud moment for the entire consortium. Next steps include the delivery of the RX tile, equipped with ADCs and fibre data transfer.

How Does Micro-Doppler Radar Classify Drones?

Robin Radar — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:30:00 GMT

Micro-Doppler radar technology classifies drones by analysing the unique motion signatures of their spinning rotor blades.

Unlike traditional radar, which struggles to distinguish small drones from birds of similar size, micro-Doppler technology identifies the distinctive frequency patterns created by rotating propellers – enabling accurate classification and significantly fewer false alarms.

For security teams, airport operators, and defence planners facing the growing challenge of unauthorised drone activity, understanding how micro-Doppler technology works is essential.

The Fundamentals of Micro-Doppler Radar

What is micro-Doppler radar?	How does it work?	Why does classification accuracy matter?	How does Robin Radar use it?
Micro-Doppler radar is a classification technology that identifies airborne objects by analysing the unique frequency patterns created by their moving components. For example, spinning rotor blades on drones.	It works by detecting micro-motion signatures – small frequency modulations caused by rotating propellers. These signals tell the radar whether the objects it sees are birds, drones, or clutter.	Strong classification performance allows ground teams to respond quickly and appropriately to drone threats, resulting in fewer false alarms and operator fatigue.	Our flagship IRIS drone radar combines micro-Doppler signature analysis with deep neural networks (DNN) – AI that learns patterns to identify and classify – to deliver reliable classification across a 360° area in full 3D.

How Does Micro-Doppler Radar Work?

Drones use a system of propellers to stay airborne; birds beat their wings. Whilst these two distinctive modes of flight are obviously different to a human observer, traditional radar struggles to distinguish between them.

The reason is simple: drones and birds are similar in size, which gives them a similar radar cross-section (RCS). Traditional radar relies on RCS to detect and identify objects, which means drones and birds look much the same to these systems.

Micro-Doppler radar, like Robin Radar’s IRIS, overcomes this problem by focusing on the unique micro-Doppler signature drones emit during flight.

What is a micro-Doppler signature?

“Micro-Doppler is produced by the periodic movement of any structural component of an object. The periodic movement creates micro-motion, which in turn induces side-bands about the bulk Doppler frequency. The phase of the radar return signal from such an object (e.g. human walking, bird or drone flying) will change accordingly.”

– Nature

Automatic Classification

In practical terms, this means micro-Doppler radar can differentiate between the high-frequency modulation of a drone's spinning propeller blades (typically rotating at 50-100 Hz) and the lower-frequency periodic pattern of a bird's flapping wings (typically 4-10 Hz). These fundamentally different motion patterns produce distinct signatures that micro-Doppler radar can identify consistently.

With sufficient testing and data, micro-Doppler radar can build a comprehensive database of unique signatures for different airborne objects. This allows it to automatically classify airborne objects, discount non-drones, and warn you of potential threats in a range of conditions.

Why Accurate Drone Classification Matters

1. Reducing False Alarms

Because traditional radar can’t distinguish between drones and birds, they frequently generate false alarms from bird activity – overwhelming operators and wasting resources.

Research published in Frontiers in Communications and Networks has demonstrated that micro-Doppler classification using FMCW radar can reliably distinguish UAVs from non-UAV objects. That said, real-world performance depends on factors like radar settings, background clutter, and target characteristics.

Even with these variables, micro-Doppler radar represents a significant step up from traditional systems – giving you a much clearer picture of what's in your airspace, so you can focus resources on genuine threats rather than chasing birds.

Micro-Doppler radar can also identify tethered, hovering and autonomous drones – unlike radio frequency (RF) analysers, which rely on intercepting communications between a drone and its controller. If a drone isn't transmitting, RF systems can't see it.

2. Preventing Desensitisation to Threats

When operators are bombarded with frequent false alarms, they can become desensitised – a phenomenon known as "alarm fatigue." This poses a serious operational risk: if security personnel begin to treat every alert as another false positive, they may respond slower, or not at all, when a genuine threat appears.

Traditional systems that can’t distinguish drones from birds contribute directly to this problem. Micro-Doppler radar's high classification accuracy means operators receive fewer, more reliable alerts – helping teams remain vigilance.

3. Enabling Faster, More Appropriate Responses

Birds and drones require different responses. It would be unethical to use a net gun on a flock of endangered birds, but direct countermeasures are perfectly acceptable against potentially armed drones – especially in military contexts.

Micro-Doppler radar tells you what you're dealing with earlier and with greater certainty than traditional systems. So, you can prepare an appropriate response before a threat reaches its target – whether that’s continued monitoring or direct intervention via an RF jammer or net gun, for example.

Crucially, micro-Doppler technology can also track multiple fast-moving targets simultaneously, making it well-suited to monitoring drone swarms.

How Robin Radar Uses Micro-Doppler Technology

Robin Radar's IRIS drone detection radar combines 360° azimuth and 60° elevation coverage with micro-Doppler and deep neural network (DNN) classification. By analysing the unique rotor blade signatures of different drone types, it can reliably distinguish drones from birds – giving you the early warning you need to coordinate an effective response.

IRIS is mission-proven, with over 500 radars deployed worldwide to help protect and support:

Airports
Battlefield operations
Military airbases
Police forces
Prisons
Political summits

FAQs

What’s the difference between Doppler and micro-Doppler radar?

Standard Doppler radar measures the velocity of a target based on the frequency shift of reflected radar signals. Micro-Doppler radar picks up additional frequency modulations caused by moving components within the target, such as spinning rotor blades, enabling accurate and reliable classification.

Can micro-Doppler radar identify autonomous drones?

Yes. Unlike RF-based detection systems that rely on intercepting radio communications, micro-Doppler radar sees the moving components within the drone itself. If the rotors are spinning, the radar identifies the signature – regardless of whether the drone is transmitting or operating autonomously.

Does micro-Doppler radar work in all weather conditions?

Drone detection radar is inherently more resilient to weather than optical or acoustic alternatives. Whilst heavy precipitation can introduce some signal attenuation, systems with micro-Doppler classification capabilities, like IRIS, are tested and certified against military environmental standards (STANAG 4370) for operation in temperatures from -46°C to +50°C.

From how far can micro-Doppler radar classify drones?

Maximum classification range depends on drone size and radar specifications. IRIS can classify medium-sized drones weighing approximately 3 kg, at up to 2 km under typical conditions. A recent software upgrade extends the radar’s instrumented range from 5 km to 12 km for larger, fixed-wing drones.

The Drone Threat is Evolving – Can Your Systems Keep Up?

The first generation of mobile phones were large, bulky devices that performed a single function. It took many decades and countless iterations of the original design before they became the compact, versatile smartphones we know today.

Drones are on a similar evolutionary path. They're becoming smaller, smarter, and more accessible with each passing year. Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr has described the proliferation of small, cheap drones as "the most concerning tactical development" since the improvised explosive device (IED).

As one of the only technologies that can reliably distinguish between small moving objects, micro-Doppler radar is becoming a key component of effective counter-drone strategies worldwide.

Adapting to the speed of the fight: How IRIS supports Special Operations Forces (SOF)

Robin Radar — Thu, 14 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT

As the unfolding conflict in the Middle East has demonstrated, the counter-UAS gap is no longer a future problem. It’s a present crisis.

Events in the Gulf have brought to light what every SOF supporting element must plan against: an evolving threat landscape of one-way attack (OWA) UAS, loitering munitions, and ISR drones probing force positions before strikes.

This has proven lethal for both conventional forces and the forward support nodes that sustain SOF, including aviation staging areas, Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) afloat platforms, and ground vehicle convoys.

As drone attacks on the U.S. and partner-force support elements surge in the Gulf, it’s clear we’ve entered a new era of aerial conflict – one that demands speed, agility, and adaptability.

At Robin, we’ve seen this firsthand across the Middle East and Ukraine, and we responded with IRIS.

Drone radar IRIS: built for a fight that doesn’t wait

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have revolutionized the landscape of defense, security, and warfare. For SOF elements, this shift has compromised the traditional sanctuary of the shadows, introducing a constant risk of both persistent surveillance and lethal aerial strikes.

That’s why, when innovating our flagship 3D counter-UAS system, we purpose-built it for environments where weight, speed, and survivability are non-negotiable – engineering to address the challenges faced by modern SOF support elements operating in contested airspace.

The result: a low-SWaP, deployable radar that offers rapid setup and reliable performance.

Rapid deployment: Mission-ready in 15 minutes

Weighing just 64 lbs (29 kg), IRIS packs down and sets up quickly with an ultra-easy mount system. Ideal for Night Stalker FARP teams or MSOT vehicle packages, it can be easily loaded into the back of a SOCOM vehicle and deployed in austere environments.
Vehicle-mounted on-the-move (OTM)

Mounted on vehicles, IRIS operates at speeds of up to 62 mph (100 km/h). That means coverage while moving through rugged terrain, protecting logistics convoys or rapid exfil columns with the same fidelity it provides at a static site.
Total situational awareness

IRIS offers total awareness. By combining 360° views, 60° elevation, and a 3-mile (5 km) instrumented range – extendable up to 7.5 miles (12 km) in Long-Range Mode (LRM) – it delivers a 30-mi² (78km²) total coverage area. A single IRIS unit can detect, track, and classify drone threats before they achieve engagement range.
24/7 detection

Micro-Doppler processing enables the classification of fixed-wing and hovering drones alike, operating equally in complete darkness. For Night Stalker teams, when operations are defined by darkness, IRIS doesn’t degrade when the lights go out.
AI-driven threat classification

Continuous upgrades using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have reduced false alarm rates by 80%, keeping operators focused on threats, not noise. Supported by AI, IRIS has tripled its classification range for small commercial drones, such as the DJI Mavic Mini 2.

Combat-proven detection: learnings from Ukraine

IRIS has not only been deployed across the Gulf, but has served as a first line of aerial defense in Ukraine for years. Delivered to frontlines in 2023 after an order from the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD), our radar has since seen hundreds of deployments across the country to protect Ukrainian forces on the ground.

A second order from the Dutch MoD in 2024 marked the introduction of our on-the-move (OTM) functionality, developed in response to a threat environment that was evolving faster than static systems could adapt.

The shifting operational hazards faced in Ukraine – drone swarms, one-way attack vehicles, mobile ISR platforms – are now manifesting in the Middle East. To keep up, we evolve at the speed of the threat, using a continuous software upgrade model driven by DNNs and trained on real-world engagement data.

Customizable intelligence: tuned for SOF support

No two SOF support environments are alike. IRIS recognizes this with operator-configurable parameters that allow mission planners to tailor detection behavior:

In high-density airspace around a 160th SOAR staging area, sensitivity thresholds can be reduced to minimize false-alarm rates while maintaining critical classification ranges
At a remote MSPF afloat platform or forward cache site, where the airspace is sparse, and any drone is a threat, sensitivity can be maximized to extend classification range by hundreds of meters.
For Civil Affairs or PSYOP elements operating in semi-permissive urban environments, the radar’s DNN architecture will distinguish between drones, rotary-wing aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground vehicles.

Integration-first: IRIS at the center of the C-UAS stack

Mitigating drone threats with speed and precision takes a system of sensors.

IRIS is built as the first layer of aerial defense, designed for seamless integration with command and control (C2) systems and wider C-UAS architecture, allowing SOF support element commanders to take decisive action with confidence and speed.

Native integration for SAPIENT, ASTERIX, CoT/TAK, and numerous C2 systems comes with every IRIS radar.

Meeting the standard: USSOCOM modernization

As Pentagon policy has expanded counter-drone authorities for base commanders, and as USSOCOM accelerates its own C-UAS acquisition, we’re positioned to deliver a radar system that integrates rapidly into existing tactical networks.

In doing so, we’re meeting the technically rigorous standards that Navy Admiral Frank M. Bradley, Commander, USSOCOM, now expects of industry partners.

“To accomplish its goals and to continue protecting the nation… [SOCOM] requires accelerated modernization,” said Adm. Bradley during his FY2027 Posture Statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Predictable resourcing for our program’s modernization is a strategic necessity.”

The innovation cycle has become measured in days and weeks, not months and years. IRIS is ready to match that pace.

Radar on the move: Defenture and Robin Radar Systems

Robin Radar — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:23:57 GMT

The drone threat isn’t static. It’s rapid, autonomous, shifts direction without warning, and evolves constantly to exploit defences. When the threat is this agile, why shouldn’t the response be?

In today’s defence and security landscape, counter-UAS must be mobile.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Defenture B.V., integrating IRIS On-The-Move (OTM) across two of the company’s light tactical vehicle platforms – lending our mobile detection capabilities to the GRF and Mammoth.

A partnership with momentum

Specialising in purpose-built, highly mobile tactical vehicles, Defenture is a fellow Dutch innovator delivering safe, agile mobility solutions for field environments worldwide.

With a shared vision of ensuring operational success through mobile, mission-ready capability, it’s a partnership that feels like a natural fit.

As part of our collaboration with Defenture, we showcased IRIS in rough terrain at Experience Island, Loon op Zand.

The setup highlighted our integration-ready architecture, offering a glimpse of how IRIS supports unparalleled accuracy, early warning, and real-time situational awareness while on the move: a strong match for Defenture’s durable, field-ready vehicles.

The radar’s advanced OTM capability meets the highly mobile designs of the GRF and Mammoth, enabling 360° awareness of drone threats in real-time. This gives ground forces the power to adapt, maneuver, and remain mobile. The flexible counter-UAS solution delivers protection without limiting speed or freedom of movement.

Though IRIS looks at home mounted on Defenture’s light tactical vehicles, what looks seamless from the outside depends on a carefully engineered balance.

IRIS on-the-move (OTM)

In creating IRIS, we didn’t get caught in the trap of innovating for today. We circled back to the drawing board to develop a system ahead of its time. One that could evolve and bend with societal need.

That’s no small feat. When a radar moves, it must factor in constant changes in speed, direction, vibration, and terrain. Without sophisticated technologies that offset the effects of movement, detection degrades, tracking accuracy plummets, and classification gets complex.

We took our systems on and off road to measure our tech against even the most trying conditions. It took hundreds of careful tests across multiple real-world conditions as our engineers wrangled for a truly innovative mix of hardware and software.

And the learning never stops. We rely on rigorous assessment standards and direct, collaborative feedback from clients and partners to keep performance sky-high.

This means continuous operational testing driven by real-world insights, including those gathered in Ukraine, where our vehicle-mounted capabilities have been proven to detect, track, and classify drones at speeds of up to 100 km/h (60 mph).

Today, sophisticated signal processing algorithms, precise motion compensation, careful mechanical and electronic stabilisation, and unique orientation techniques enable best-in-class performance.

Why motion matters: C-UAS on the move

The defence and security landscape is changing fast.

Innovation is critical in keeping up. From OTM capability to software-only updates, like IRIS Long-Range Mode (LRM). A recent breakthrough upgrade that offers the option to switch between 5km (3.1 miles) and 12km (7.45 miles) instrumented ranges in minutes, no hardware changes in sight.

Innovation is critical, but so is its pace. Long innovation cycles and multi-year delivery schedules are no longer enough. Traditional defence timelines don’t match today’s rapid reality.

The market demands agile companies that can innovate, scale, and deliver fast. A new generation of radar company.

Beneath the layers: C-UAS as an integrated ecosystem

Robin Radar — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMT

When it comes to successful aerial defence, it’s clear there’s no single solution to tackle the UAS threat.

Drones have evolved to become a complex security threat: autonomous, RF-silent, and operating in GPS-denied environments, while being capable of deployment in coordinated swarms over long distances.

Beyond the clear safety challenge this poses, there’s an economic one, too.

Low-cost drones are causing nations to spend millions of dollars on countermeasures to defend against UAS that cost just a few thousand. It’s something we’re seeing daily in the Middle East, as our CEO, Siete Hamminga, has already spoken out on.

So, how can we reliably and sustainably protect people and critical infrastructure?

In large part, the answer lies in layered defence. Building ecosystems that start with accurate detection and classification and end in proportional mitigation, leveraging best-in-class technologies that scale industrially, economically, and technologically.

Not only does this approach ensure a better-informed, more cost-effective solution, but it also encourages closer collaboration between defence organisations and technology providers, facilitating faster innovation cycles and evolving capabilities.

Why last-mile radar matters

The leading UAS threat today is small drones flying at low altitude in noisy environments. This requires accurate, close-proximity detection by radar solutions adaptable enough to keep pace with the fast-evolving nature of the threat.

At Robin, we lead with innovation to stay at the cutting edge. Our agile C-UAS radar, IRIS, uses micro-Doppler classification to differentiate between distinct motion signatures of birds, drones, and other aerial objects at ranges of up to 12 kilometres, with Deep Neural Network (DNN) technology helping drive continuous iteration and improvement.

As we’ve learned through real-world applications, last-mile detection capabilities are the bedrock of any reliable layered C-UAS system. Defence infrastructure is only as effective as its detection, classification, and tracking.

The importance of integration

We’ve seen first-hand how integrated architecture performs against aerial threats in Ukraine and the Gulf, where Shahed-like drones pose a near-daily threat to civilians and strategic assets. These drones need to be accurately identified early.

As the first layer of defence, IRIS is deployed in just 15 minutes and integrates with a number of command and control (C2) systems, making set-up seamless. Just as quickly, it can be redeployed, scaling effortlessly to expand aerial defence coverage.

The benefits of early detection shouldn’t be underestimated. By providing accurate, early-stage insights to command and control, decision-making becomes faster, clearer, and more proportional.

Drones can be neutralised cost-effectively using energy systems or electronic countermeasures, instead of expensive missiles – and people and critical infrastructure can be protected with reduced risk.

Ever-evolving capabilities

Layered defence also allows technology providers to focus on what they do best. At Robin, that’s detection, tracking, and classification. We’re constantly seeking to improve our capabilities, collaborating closely with our partners to test and challenge our radars in operational environments.

By doing so, our experience in the field has allowed us to make rapid improvements like extending our instrumented range to 12 kilometres with Long-Range Mode (LRM) and making our radar mountable for on-the-move (OTM) applications, such as vehicles.

Ultimately, effective aerial defence is best tackled collaboratively. To protect the most vulnerable among us, technology providers must innovate and integrate, evolving at the speed of the threat to ensure safer skies today, for the benefit of tomorrow.

“We have a strong culture of getting the job done”: A chat with Robin CTO, Vivien Croes

Robin Radar — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

‘Innovation’ is a word that gets bandied around a lot. We’re guilty of it too, because the truth is, it forms the entire fabric of how we operate, deliver and grow.

It’s far from a buzz word in our world, though. We took the chance to sit down with our Chief Technology Officer, Vivien Croes, to unpick what it really means to Robin.

Innovation is tension

“I often have to move twenty times a day between strategy-level decisions and deep technical details,” explains Vivien. It’s one of the things he loves most about his role.

“One moment I’m supporting long-term architectural choices, the next, diving into precise human or organisational issues. That variety gives me energy, and it’s not dissimilar to the balance we strike constantly in our technical team.

Innovation happens between fields, pivoting between details and helicopter views. It never happens in a vacuum or comes from a single source. It happens in grey space.

Real innovation means striking a balance between competing demands. Innovation lives in that tension. It’s how we build something the market needs before the market even knows it, at standards that defy time.”

At Robin Radar Systems, that’s an embedded philosophy. We combine deep technical expertise, multidisciplinary thinking, real-world validation, and the courage to move fast.

From rocket engines to radar systems

French by origin, Vivien has lived and worked across Germany, the UK, Belgium and now the Netherlands, and technology has never been far from reach.

“I grew up with rockets roaring overhead,” Vivien tells us. “My father worked in aerospace for 35 years. One of my earliest memories involves the physical force of rocket launches rumbling through our home, shelves clattering, furniture shaking, as they launched towards the ocean.

I collected pieces of the first Ariane 5 that had exploded. I still have some of them. From very early on, I just wanted to understand how things work.”

That curiosity led Vivien to a PhD in applied physics and a career in the aerospace sector, working across complex satellite systems, from thrusters to electronics. After years in space technology, he began looking for a new frontier.

“I wanted something high-tech, but different. I’m still serving as a reserve officer in the French Navy, and that connection to defense technology drew me toward radar.

I liked that radar is a subsystem in a much larger one, and the radar side itself demands a whole symphony of expertise. RF engineering, mechanics, electronics, firmware, software, data science, AI. You need real depth in each domain, but you also need to orchestrate them.

That’s a challenge I found hard to resist.”

Leadership done differently

Managing, harmonising and layering that degree of specialist knowledge can be a challenge.

Not only is Robin diverse in skillset, it’s diverse full stop. With 35 nationalities and counting forming the company, all teams are truly international.

“That’s certainly an exciting part of this company’s strength and culture,” says Vivien. “It brings a huge breadth of thinking into play, but only if it’s led in the right way. It takes more effort to converge, but we become far more robust and creative. Diversity of viewpoints helps you avoid mistakes.

We tend to fight micromanagement here. My role is to provide clarity about where we’re going and what the expected outcome is, not to define the steps that bring us there. I experience that if people internalise the intention, they often find much better solutions than if I prescribe the method.”

Innovation at pace

At Robin, innovation is grounded in speed. We shorten cycles, learning fast to deliver what the market needs, sometimes even before it knows it.

“Our job is to find the sweet spot between what we can technically achieve and what the market expects. But the market is never our only compass. The key is clarity. We define strong priorities at leadership level, and they always look ahead.

However, we work with tensions constantly. Most of our customers are working with urgency. They need rapid innovation cycles, but our systems must also meet the highest standards and certifications.

We bridge the gap with constant collaboration. Short innovation cycles are sustained with selected customers who agree to test systems in development. Product management then cherry-picks outcomes and feeds them back into structured productisation.

We go as fast as possible. Test, test, test. Correct and go again. We don’t spend ages perfecting theories at Robin.

And of course, every choice is a compromise, you cannot do everything.”

Innovation in practice

IRIS On-The-Move (OTM) and Long-Range Mode (LRM) are both outcomes.

“OTM started with a customer asking: can we use the radar while driving? That opened a huge scope of technical challenges. We experimented in the field, defined a working solution, and once proven, industrialised it.”

LRM pushed the boundary further. “With Long-Range Mode, customers get the option to see much further, achieved through AI training alone without changing hardware. Five years ago, that would have sounded laughable.”

Vivien explains that this is just the beginning. “We’ll continue to leverage processing power, and AI, to keep making breakthroughs. Initially, we used machine learning to enhance classification, but detection and tracking will increasingly be handled by AI or hybrid architectures.

We have a strong culture of getting the job done. Our engineers are multidisciplinary, they need to see both the big picture and the detail. That’s important.”

A culture to match

Robin’s culture is built around delivery. We put hands on deck to get projects over the line and into the world.

“Though Robin has scaled aggressively, bureaucracy remains very close to zero. Our technology teams are given the freedom to solve problems, choose tools and create routes. That freedom is empowering, and we work hard to keep it in place across the board.

We aim to preserve that spirit of getting ideas off the ground, but we must still harness it right as we continue to scale. We must professionalise. Introduce frameworks and processes where needed. Prevent silos from forming. Keep clarity intact.

That’s a challenge, but an even bigger challenge for us right now is workload. We love what we do, and want to tackle everything at once.”

Admirable, but not always feasible.

“This is why building upon our current talent base is essential. Staying at the cutting edge is never a given, it requires constant consolidation and growth of high-level skills.”

Like Vivien and his team, are you energised by complexity, driven by impact and ready to build technology still unimagined by the market? We’d love to meet you.

Explore open roles

Collaboration as a Catalyst: Radar-Guided Counter-UAS with Origin Robotics

Robin Radar — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:59:09 GMT

Innovation can’t happen in a vacuum. At Robin, cycles of learning, feedback, and shared expertise are built into everything we do.

And in counter-UAS, collaboration is essential. Here, challenges are complex, the threat landscape shifts constantly, and operational demands change too quickly for any single technology to stand up alone.

That’s why we join forces with partners like Origin Robotics. It’s how we innovate, integrate, and deliver impact. Paired with our 3D, 360° drone detection system, IRIS, Origin’s Blaze interceptor operates with an additional layer of precision, in real time.

The collaboration combines formidable detection and specialist interception through precession.

Radar-guided drone interception

Origin Robotics has an effective autonomous interceptor drone, designed explicitly to counter aerial threats. What they needed was a sensor capable of reliably detecting and tracking those threats, delivering guidance and position updates fast enough to support interception.

Robin Radar Systems Technical Sales Engineer, Jasper Borghart, explains:

“Origin has a very capable technology, but for the most precise and time-effective interception, you need a sensor that can guide. That’s where IRIS fits naturally: all-around detection, accurate tracking, and data that’s easy to work with.

“IRIS doesn’t need an operator. It just feeds reliable data. You get 360° awareness, rapid update rates, and no additional manpower for calibration or setup.”

Once IRIS detects a drone, it continuously updates the threat’s position, sending tracking coordinates every second to Blaze.

Blaze then launches toward those coordinates, maintaining a link with its ground station while refining its intercept path. When close enough, the interceptor switches to its onboard camera for visual lock, allowing the operator to decide whether to follow, intercept, or abort.

Robin focuses on detection and tracking, Origin on the effector. Together, they form two critical pillars of an integrated counter-UAS system, with command-and-control acting as connective tissue.

Built to Integrate: The Heart of a System of Systems

In creating IRIS, we didn’t get caught in the trap of innovating for today. We circled back to the drawing board to develop a system ahead of its time. One that could sit seamlessly within an ecosystem of sensors and effectors.

IRIS was designed from the ground up to be lightweight, easily deployable, and adaptable. It integrates fast, feeding reliable real-time intelligence into command-and-control platforms andsensor fusion layers.

“IRIS outputs GPS coordinates and track data via an array of APIs,” Jasper explains. “That makes integration simple. Whether it’s a C2 system or an effector like Blaze, you’re not locked into a closed ecosystem.”

This kind of openness allows IRIS to plug seamlessly into broader architectures, reducing integration time, lowering operational complexity, and enabling faster deployment of complete solutions.

Collaboration as a CUAS Mindset

Our Origin Robotics partnership is one of many that reflects a broader truth about counter-UAS. The threat evolves too rapidly for siloed development.

The pace at which we innovate depends on continuous integration. Feedback from the field feeds directly into development cycles, enabling rapid iteration and practical upgrades.

Our latest breakthrough, IRIS Long-Range Mode (LRM), is a clear example. The software-only update provides even earlier warning of large, Fixed Wing drones. It allows operators to switch between instrumented ranges in minutes, without hardware changes. It was developed and stress-tested through a significant number of IRIS deployments in Ukraine, where these types of threats have become prolific.

The drone threat continues to evolve, but so does its response. The most effective counter-UAS solutions are forging ahead, propelled by shared expertise and open integration.

Robin Radar Systems: 2025, A Year in Reflection

Robin Radar — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:24:57 GMT

If Robin Radar Systems were a book, and each year formed a chapter, 2025 would be a page-turner.

As every great chapter should, it begins with big ideas, bold steps, and brilliant people. In January, we held an official signing to seal our acquisition and partnership with investment company, Parcom.

We joined forces to accelerate our growth, expanding our presence in existing markets and reaching new geographies. With Parcom’s support, we aimed to scale up our operations, invest in new product development, and expand our sales and services globally.

In 2025, we did just that, and we’re far from done.

Our biggest growth yet

It’s also been our biggest year of company growth ever. Fine, we may say that every year, but we keep topping hires.

And in 2025, hiring didn’t just accelerate. It soared.

We doubled our annual hiring target, welcoming roughly 127 new Robins by year’s end. 103 of them were onboarded, from Delft to Singapore, the UK, and the US.

New roles were even created within our Management Team, strengthening strategic and empowered leadership.

We remained a Great Place to Work, scoring an impressive 4.49/5 with 76% participation. Much of that is thanks to our Office team, who kept busy spaces ticking over with extraordinary care:

16,922 lunches were served in-house, an incredible 65% increase from last year. Because who’s ever had their best ideas on an empty stomach?
Over 2,200 office tickets were solved, making every day a good day to be a Robin.
11 company-wide celebrations brought us together, from Oktoberfest to our magical 15th anniversary in Maastricht.

Our reach grew, too. Key campaigns drew more eyes to the skies than ever, as we maintained and strengthened projects with long-term partners, and introduced completely new cases.

Be it the study of bats in Australia, or bespoke technical setups with pioneers in aviation.

number one choice for bright minds

With our expansion, we went to new lengths to protect and polish our company culture. People remain the beating heart of Robin, and our greatest asset.

Our recruitment team reviewed over 9,500+ applications, selecting rare talents with unique skills and formidable spirit.

We also tweaked and refined our company values to champion the trust, ownership, and ambition that brought us this far, and will carry us further still.

They were backed by a brand new learning scheme, not a tick-box excercise, but an initiative designed to inspire. Robin Minds is our first full-scale Learning & Development program. It saw:

Three fully designed leadership programs for 2025–2026, complete with (very cool) goodie bags.
The introduction of GoodHabitz, unlocking online training for all Robins.
Workshops devoted to storytelling, because innovation begins with the ability to share it.
A brand new learning hub plus a quarterly learning newsletter with updates, course tips, and sign-ups.

By June, 100% of managers were registered in leadership training, with new managers joining future waves.

trailblazing tech

Would this be a Robin recap without a little (or a lot) of radar innovation?

We unveiled new strengths in our products, from IRIS Long-Range Mode to breakthroughs in DNN. And the world took notice. We were featured in top-tier press across the board, including CNN, BBC, Het Financieele Dagblad, and many more.

In February, we revealed that we had doubled the amount of data used to train our DNN model and confirmed big results. The latest model, shipping with new IRIS systems, gives users an additional, targeted layer of control with thresholds of extended classification range or enhanced sensitivity.

Six months later, we launched a breakthrough software update that lifted our counter-UAS radar to even greater heights. The upgrade, a new IRIS Long-Range Mode, offers the option to switch between 5km (3.1 miles) and 12km (7.45 miles) instrumented ranges in minutes.

It was developed and stress-tested through a significant number of deployments in Ukraine, where fixed-wing drones have become a consistent threat to critical infrastructure.

As well as bringing a critical function to frontlines, the upgrade underscores the need for fast, adaptive innovation that matches the speed of the fight.

Just this month we demonstrated that with a landmark deal: 100 IRIS radars supplied to the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD). The first 30 systems were delivered within 24 hours, with a total of 50 supplied within two weeks. In fact, it’s been a year of shipping more IRIS radars than ever before.

The deal also demonstrates one of Europe’s largest investments in drone-detection sensing to date.

Beyond this achievement, it's been a year of incredible growth, during which we've welcomed several new Defense & Security customers and partners, and secured breakthrough deals across the Aviation sector.

Running like clockwork

Behind every milestone, each spinning radar, every visionary partnership, is a powerhouse of teams that keep our company, products, and services running with precision.

Our teams exhibited at or attended over 70 events worldwide, building relationships and sparking collaboration. All while wearing the Robin name with their usual finesse.

Our Service & Support teams listened, answered, and took action. We fine-tuned systems and ensured radars performed worldwide, breathing life into a huge variety of projects.

We met unprecedented demand head-on, manufacturing radars at a pace we’ve never seen before and shipping to every corner of the globe. Each unit reflected hundreds of thousands of carefully coordinated processes, tests, and engineering cycles. All executed with precision.

Systems were scaled to support rapid growth with decisions and tools that helped us work even more efficiently. We kept thousands of devices, accounts, and platforms running smoothly.

Countless specialists, creatives, and experts across the organisation solved problems, smoothened workflows, and forged initiatives that let our people and products thrive.

here's to the next

We could go on. And on. But we’ll save it for next year, and instead, say this.

To our visionary customers who challenge us, inspire us, and trust us with their most critical missions, thank you.

To our tenacious, curious Robins, you brought big thinking with even bigger heart. We can’t wait to see what you do next.

Here’s to 2026, another chapter of Robin.