DroneShield’s SentryCiv – An Affordable Civilian Counter-Drone Solution

Alongside the proliferation of drone technology, more and more incidents of negligent drone misuse, outright incursions, and malicious attacks have become commonplace. Due to this, counter-drone technology adoption, both for detection and mitigation, has become an absolute necessity. Though there has been a steady rise in investment into counter-unmanned systems (CUxS) technology for military use in recent times, focus on civilian and public safety sectors has only just begun to arise. 

The Unseen Threat

The threat here lies mainly in the targeting of civilian assets, including attacks on critical infrastructure, illegal surveillance in sensitive locations, disruptions to airport operations, and illicit payload delivery in correctional facilities. Traditional drone detection systems are engineered to service specific sectors, particularly for military use. Civilian environments demand a different approach. One focusing on more discreet hardware with passive emissions and a lower price point. This has driven the need for an affordable AI-powered civilian counter-drone solution that can be adopted into existing security ecosystems to protect a predetermined public airspace, and this starts with enabling situational awareness.

Growth in drone technology has set a new standard in modern warfare, and DroneShield’s SentryCiv is the new standard for airspace security via passive drone defence. To meet this growing concern, it’s not enough to simply design a solution that tackles the problems of today, rather, the technology must continually adapt to be effective. So, what does that look like? The answer is a civilian counter-drone solution that can be updated regularly to detect, classify, and track existing and emerging RF frequency bands.

Pictured: DroneShield’s SentryCiv, the new standard for airspace security via passive drone defence

Infrastructure Resilience Begins at the Perimeter

As with any drone strategy, the first line of defence against UAS incursions is accurate and reliable threat detection. To justify civilian deployment, a CUxS detection device needs to be relatively compact, software-driven, completely passive and non-emitting, and affordable. That is why DroneShield has invested in in-house Australian sovereign engineering innovation to design a solution that can effectively detect and classify the growing unseen drone threat – SentryCiv.

Combining the cloud-based AI-driven Command-and-Control software platform of Sentry-C2 Civ with the rugged and purpose-built hardware of the CivModule, the SentryCiv uses DroneShield’s proprietary RFAI™ detection engine to classify and track unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Using radio frequency (RF) sensing capabilities, SentryCiv is able to alert users of the presence of drones operating under commonly used RF bands and unencrypted Remote ID and Drone ID beacons. These detections are visualised via Sentry-C2 Civ, providing immediate, real-time notifications and a dot-on-the-map when available.

Hardware that lasts

The focus on civilian deployment begins with the CivModule’s casing. Built to withstand the rigors of unfavourable weather environments, it encases the technology within, allowing operators to install the device in a fixed site, creating a long-lasting perimeter defence. The compact size also provides flexible installation, allowing for multiple use-cases without impeding on the operating environment.

Pictured: DroneShield's CivModule fixed site deployment at an airport

Counter-Drone Software

On the software side, the SentryCiv, like all DroneShield detection devices, incorporates the AI and Machine Learning (ML) powered the Radio Frequency Artificial Intelligence (RFAI) detection engine. This allows the SentryCiv to recognise over 150 drone and controller signals, with quarterly updates expanding this list, providing operators with future-proofed situational awareness technology. This integrated Software as a Service (SaaS) strategy allows DroneShield to continually and reliably provide subscription-based software updates, staying at the forefront of the global counter-drone market, allowing users to keep up with evolving drone technology.  

Utilising RF broad spectrum scanning, the SentryCiv detects the presence of a single or multiple drones operating on a specific frequency. The system also incorporates DroneShield’s proprietary DroneLocator technology to detect and track unencrypted Remote ID and Drone ID beacons and provide a dot-on-the-map in real-time via Sentry-C2 Civ. 

Sentry-C2 Civ is a proprietary cloud-based Command-and-Control (C2) platform that supports up to five CivModule connections in a single instance of the software. This gives operators a clear view of all drone detections, with immediate alerts and notifications provided based on custom predefined parameters. As an integrated cloud-based C2 platform, Sentry-C2 Civ does not require a physical on-premises server to operate. This allows for flexible deployment to suit potentially changing and evolving requirements, providing clear operational oversight and comprehensive situational awareness.  

To keep up with growing counter counter-drone technology, Sentry-C2 Civ operates on a subscription model, providing regular updates for unparallelled critical infrastructure counter-drone software.

Pictured: Sentry-C2 Civ, DroneShield’s proprietary cloud-based Command-and-Control (C2) platform

The Future of Passive Drone Defence

The ultimate goal is to empower law enforcement agencies with advanced yet accessible tools to see and react to any potential drone threats. Without a clear approach and the technology to match, airports, prisons, critical infrastructure, and public areas are vulnerable to operational shutdowns, negative financial impact, delays to business, security leaks, regulatory breaches, and disruptions to critical and essential services.

As Tom Adams, Director of Public Safety at DroneShield states, “SentryCiv represents our commitment to making advanced counter-drone solutions accessible and affordable for non-military sectors. This solution is a game-changer for industries like law enforcement, corrections, aviation, and utilities, providing cost-effective, reliable means of protecting critical assets from evolving drone threats.”