FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

• • Concerns about drones include the potential dangers posed by clueless pilots who may inadvertently fly into restricted airspace or crash into people and property, causing accidents and injuries. Additionally, criminals can exploit drones for illicit activities such as spying, smuggling, or delivering contraband
    
  • Read more about the problems drones can cause here.

Watch the “Why You Need to Worry About Drones” video.

The most prevalent drone detection users include critical infrastructure, public safety, sports venues, corrections, airports and military installations.

Watch the ”Industries Using Drone Detection” video.

Drone detection identifies the presence of drones in a specific area, helping organizations understand what’s happening in their airspace.

Drone mitigation refers to actions taken to disrupt, disable, or otherwise neutralize a detected drone. 

In the United States, mitigation authority is strictly limited by federal law. Historically, only certain federal agencies — such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security — were authorized to take such action.

While a bill called the SAFER SKIES Act is still under consideration, the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides limited authority for trained and certified state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies to perform mitigation in response to credible threats — but only using federally approved technologies and under strict oversight and reporting requirements.

Watch the ”Drone Detection and Mitigation Explained” video.

Remote Identification (Remote ID) is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate that requires drones operating in U.S. airspace to broadcast identification and location information while in flight.

As of September 1, 2023, most drones are required to comply with the FAA’s Remote ID requirements. Newly manufactured drones include Standard Remote ID built directly into the aircraft. Older drones can meet the requirement by using an FAA-approved Remote ID broadcast module.

By requiring drones to transmit identifying and location data, Remote ID enhances accountability, supports regulatory compliance, and improves transparency in the national airspace.

Watch our “Understanding Remote ID” video to learn more.

• RF-based drone detection sensors can be passive or active. 
  • • In the passive type, the sensor receives the signal and then detects the controller/drone based on the signal’s physical characteristics (if no demodulation involved) or based on the signal content (if demodulation is involved).
    • In the active type, such as radar, the RF detection system emits radio waves and measures the time it takes for the waves to bounce back from objects, determining their distance, speed, and size. By analyzing the reflected signals, radar can detect and track the presence and movement of objects in its range.

       

  Watch our “How RF Drone Detection Works” video to learn more.

• There are three ways to reliably detect a drone pilot: 
  • Remote ID signal receipt: Remote ID broadcasts, which are signals transmitted by drones as per regulatory requirements include information such as the drone’s location, altitude, speed, and the pilot’s location
  • Extract the pilot launch coordinates from the drone/controller communication channel: Only available to entities like DOD and DHS with prior legal waivers 
  • Spectrum sense: Analyzes the characteristics of the detected RF signals, such as frequency, power, and modulation patterns, to identify and classify the source as a drone and its pilot

AirWarden Essentials Receivers detect the signals that drones broadcast regarding their and the pilot positions, track, altitude and more which are 80-85% of the drones in the field today. Solutions to detect the 10-15% of RF drones that do not broadcast Remote ID, including AeroDefense’s Spectrum Sensors, require much more expensive hardware and sophisticated software. The remaining 5% or so that do not broadcast any RF sign can be detected by radar which requires investment comparable to the RF systems.

Learn more about our full range of drone detection solutions.

Drones are legally considered aircraft, and federal law prohibits private individuals from interfering with them. Shooting one down could harm people or property and lead to criminal charges or fines.

While a bill called the SAFER SKIES Act is still under consideration, the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives limited authority to trained and authorized law enforcement agencies to mitigate drones that pose credible threats.

In the U.S., drone detection is primarily regulated by:

• FAA regulations (14 CFR § 91.3 & § 91.15) – The FAA controls all aircraft in the National Airspace System, and interfering with a drone is illegal for most entities.
• FCC rules (47 U.S.C. § 301 & 47 CFR Part 15) – Systems that transmit RF signals require authorization; purely passive systems generally comply.
• Privacy laws – Any collection of non-public personal data may trigger federal or state privacy protections.

Fourth Amendment (U.S. Constitution) – Limits government use of detection technology in ways that could constitute unreasonable searches or seizures.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act of 2002 is a significant part of the United States’ response to the threat of terrorism, particularly following the events of September 11, 2001. The SAFETY Act was designed to encourage the development and deployment of effective anti-terrorism technologies and offers significant liability protections for providers and users of these technologies in the aftermath of a terror event.

Mitigating a drone — meaning disrupting, disabling, or taking it out of the sky — carries significant safety and legal risks, especially over populated areas. For that reason, mitigation authority in the United States remains strictly limited under federal law.

While the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expanded mitigation authority to certain trained and certified state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies, that authority is still tightly controlled, requires federal approval, and applies only in response to credible threats. It does not create broad mitigation rights for private organizations.

Drone detection systems, however, are widely available today and can provide real-time awareness of drone and pilot locations while operating within existing federal regulations. For most organizations, establishing airspace awareness through detection is the safest and most practical response.

Learn more about the concerns regarding mitigation here.  

Yes. Remote ID messages are public broadcasts, meaning they are intentionally transmitted for anyone to receive. The information – including drone and pilot location data – is designed to be accessible to the general public.

More details can be found in this FAA video.

AeroDefense offers a full range of drone detection services and products based on the following technologies:

– Remote ID
– Spectrum sensor networks
– Spectrum sensor direction finder

Each solution can be deployed independently or combined to provide layered airspace awareness, depending on operational needs.

Optional camera and radar integrations are available.

Explore our full product lineup here: Drone Detection Solutions.

AirWarden Essentials is AeroDefense’s wide-range, subscription-based drone detection solution that provides real-time airspace awareness for a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.

Built on a scalable SaaS platform, Essentials allows organizations to monitor multiple locations from a single interface and share detection data, system access, and alerts with authorized partners such as DHS, FBI, DoD, and local law enforcement without additional fees.

Designed for reliability and ease of use, AirWarden Essentials gives organizations visibility into their airspace without the cost and complexity of full-spectrum detection systems.

Learn more about AirWarden Essentials here. 

Only a few federal agencies are permitted to read the actual signal between a drone and its controller because of federal wiretapping laws.

AirWarden® doesn’t do that – instead, it works like a Geiger counter. Just as a Geiger counter senses radiation without trying to interpret it, AirWarden® Spectrum uses spectrum sensing to detect radio frequency (RF) energy from drones and controllers.

Some competitors decode and demodulate those signals to extract information, which raises legal and compliance concerns. 

Start your journey now here.

• Detection range varies by technology and environment:
  • Remote ID receivers (RID): Wide-area coverage, approximately 2–30 km, depending on environmental conditions.
  • Spectrum sensors: Localized coverage, approximately 0.5–4 km, depending on environment and drone RF power.

  Learn more about our products here.

• Only you see sensor details. Sensor locations are not displayed. The drone public Remote ID broadcast data goes into a “data lake”.
  – Only a customer with their own sensor and AirWarden subscription will be able to access the system.
  – If a customer’s sensor is near your sensor, they will provide redundancy, earlier detection and increased detection range.

• The AirWarden alert zone can be up to 12,500 acres or 20 square miles. If the alert zone is a circle, the radius can be up to 2.5 mile radius. 

• The AirWarden alert zone can be circular or any multi-sided polygon.

• AirWarden Receivers are designed for simplicity. In most cases, a single receiver can be installed in approximately 30–45 minutes, provided that a suitable mounting location and power source are available.

  For more advanced deployments, such as networked spectrum sensor installations or integration with existing security and IT infrastructure, setup time can vary. These installations typically require a couple of weeks, depending on site complexity and coordination requirements.

• AirWarden’s open architecture allows for easy integration into or out of third party systems.

• The AirWarden system will not interfere with navigational aids and/or communications because it is a passive detection system (i.e. receive-only) and utilizes commercially available networks for connectivity.

• Every AirWarden Receiver includes a cellular data plan.  
• The Receiver also has an Ethernet port for hardline or satellite connectivity.

• AeroDefense provides flexible deployment options including fixed (permanent), temporary/portable for tripod mount. Learn about our products here.  

• Yes, AirWarden Essentials allows you to monitor multiple locations with individual alert zones.  

• AeroDefense easily integrates with third party applications. Check our Partner Page for the latest updates.