Russia has intensified its ongoing campaign against Ukraine by launching waves of drones and missiles, a tactic it has employed for years. Recently, the frequency and scale of these assaults have significantly escalated, with nightly barrages featuring over 700 drones reported in some instances. In a concerning development, Russia dispatched at least 19 drones towards Poland last night, with some neutralized by NATO forces.
The drones, primarily of the Shahed/Geran variety, incorporate technologies sourced from Iran. Their recent upgrades enable them to fly at higher altitudes, complicating interception efforts. Given the relatively low cost of these drones—estimated at tens of thousands of dollars each, with many designed as decoys without explosive payloads—intercepting them using expensive missiles from conventional air defense systems may not be feasible and could lead to the depletion of missile inventories.
In response, Ukraine has turned to electronic warfare strategies to interfere with the control systems and navigation of incoming drones. When electronic countermeasures fail, Ukrainian defense teams engage these threats with mobile anti-aircraft guns, fighter jets, and interceptor drones, employing mobile units to patrol and defend at night.
For these defense teams, timely detection of drone incursions is essential; even a few seconds can dictate the success of a countermeasure. Prolonged delays in repositioning can allow attack drones to reach their targets unchallenged.
This scenario has led to the involvement of Robin Radar Systems, a Dutch firm originally focused on bird detection. The company’s radar technology, adept at identifying small aerial objects and distinguishing them from wildlife, has found a new purpose in Ukraine’s conflict. Last year, the Dutch Ministry of Defence acquired 51 mobile Robin Radar IRIS units, which can be mounted on vehicles and utilized by drone defense squads.
Leveraging data from active battlefield deployments, Robin has managed to enhance the detection range of these radars significantly. The original units featured a “long-range mode” of 3 miles (5 km), but a recent software upgrade has extended this range to 7.5 miles (12 km). This boost is vital, especially when dealing with drones traveling at speeds exceeding 110 mph (180 km/hour).
The range extension comes solely from a software update, underlining the increasing military reliance on cost-effective, adaptable systems that can be enhanced through software rather than needing substantial hardware upgrades from traditional defense suppliers.
Kristian Brost, general manager of Robin Radar’s U.S. division, highlighted the advantages of quick, code-based enhancements in military technology. “By delivering this leap forward entirely through software,” he noted, “we’re showing how the decisive edge in counter-drone defense is no longer just built—it’s coded.”
Ukraine has openly expressed its ambition to adopt the next phase of software-driven advancements, specifically utilizing AI-powered drones that can withstand electronic warfare attempts. Some Ukrainian units are reportedly experimenting with preliminary versions of these drones, which are capable of loitering for extended periods and making autonomous attack decisions after being trained on extensive imagery of enemy forces and vehicles.
