Speed means survival. It’s not just a mantra, but an unforgiving truth forged repeatedly in and surrounding modern battlefields.
When General Bryan Fenton, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), recently called for faster, more agile acquisition systems, he was iterating the need to be ready for today’s fight, not tomorrow’s.
At Robin Radar, we’ve seen that need for speed and adaptability firsthand. And we responded with IRIS.
Drone radar IRIS: built for a fight that doesn’t wait
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, have revolutionized the landscape of defense, security, and warfare.
That’s why, when innovating our flagship 3D counter-UAS system, we went back to the drawing board to redefine drone radar. We didn’t fall into the trap of building for today, but instead pressed the boundaries of tech that could bend and flex with societal need.
The result: a small, deployable radar that sets up fast and performs reliably.
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Mission-ready in 15 Minutes – IRIS packs down and sets up quickly with an ultra-easy mount system. Weighing in at just 64 lbs (29kg), it transports and fits easily in the back of a vehicle to deploy quickly anywhere. It’s built for teams that move light and strike fast.
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Every base covered – IRIS offers total awareness. By combining 360° views, 60° elevation, and a 3-mile (5km) instrumented range, it delivers a huge 30-mile² (78km²) total coverage area.
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On the move (OTM) – Mounted on vehicles, IRIS operates at speeds up to 62mph (100km/h). That means coverage while moving through rugged terrain, urban environments, or forward operating zones.
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Tech that evolves – Continuous upgrades with Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) achieve smarter, faster threat detection and classification. Since introducing DNN in 2022, a machine learning technique, we’ve made significant leaps in both the classification range and sensitivity of IRIS, and we’re far from done.
And, because we know that tackling drone threats with speed and impact takes a system of sensors, we built for seamless integration. We focus on detection so that IRIS can sit at the heart of full systems as the first line of defense.
Drone detection in Ukraine: Innovation sealed in combat
The Dutch Ministry of Defence recently placed a repeat order for 51 drone radars to support the Ukrainian frontlines. The contract was signed on August 21, 2024, at Robin Radar Systems HQ, The Hague.
The deal was made under exceptional and urgent circumstances that demanded fast delivery with a hyper-speed procurement system. There was no room for bottlenecks.
The purchase also introduced a crucial OTM functionality. Traditional radar systems are typically stationary, mounted on fixed platforms like buildings or tripods. However, OTM systems are designed to perform even when mounted on mobile objects.
Our OTM add-on enhances precision and resilience by providing agility, expanded coverage, rapid response capabilities, and adaptability. Mobile detection systems are more challenging to find and neutralise. Uninterrupted surveillance enables teams to continuously detect and take the most effective steps to disable enemy drones.
Deploying capable radar on the move requires advanced technologies that compensate for motion-induced effects, which can degrade coverage, accuracy, and line of sight. It takes careful calibration and a robust feedback loop that underscores every innovation we make.
As well as how we operate, real-world deployments, like Ukraine, guide how we innovate.
IRIS in detail: Tuned for the fight
IRIS is lightweight, built to integrate and perform at pace, but we also spared no effort in ensuring unparalleled accuracy. IRIS can detect, track and classify small drones equally well under the cover of darkness, and micro-Doppler even enables the detection of fixed-wing and hovering drones.
Micro-Doppler refers to movements within a moving target. Radars like IRIS can detect speed differences within the reflecting target; that's how it identifies the presence of rotor blades and rotating parts. We strengthen classification accuracy, and other performance indicators, with our proprietary deep DNNs.
We’ve doubled the amount of data used to train our DNN model, and it has yielded significant results. The latest model, shipping with new IRIS systems, gives users additional and targeted layers of control:
- Customisable thresholds: Because each deployment has unique goals and settings, users can now fine-tune the balance between sensitivity and range. In busy environments or high-traffic airspace, the radar’s sensitivity may be reduced to limit the number of false alarms, at the cost of a couple of hundred meters in classification range. In open spaces with few distractors, the system’s sensitivity can be increased and the classification range stretched byl hundreds of meters.
- Extended classification range: Our new DNN model has boosted the overall classification range of IRIS to approximately 150% and tripled the classification range for small drones, such as the DJI Mavic Mini 2.
- Enhanced sensitivity: We’re proud to have innovated technologies that bring false alarm rates (the classification of a non-drone as a drone) to an all-time low. For IRIS, that just got even lower. When adjusting the threshold to maintain similar classification ranges for larger drones, the classification ranges for smaller drones still double. At the same time, false alarms are significantly reduced by 80%.
SOF: When speed is survival
When the stakes are high, there’s no room for second-guessing. Every second counts. Every action has consequences, and every decision requires precision.
That’s why, for SOF, speed is not just desirable, it’s essential. Operations are rarely undertaken in predictable environments. Weather, terrain, and hostile threats are pitted against mission success, testing even the most sophisticated technologies. And it’s crucial that they reach the frontlines quickly.
In April, General Bryon Fenton stood before the House Armed Services Committee's intelligence and special operations forces subcommittee. He issued a stark warning not only about the pace of warfare itself, but also the effects of procurement processes that cannot keep up.
He stated, "The character of war is changing faster than we've ever seen. The innovation cycle now turns in days and weeks, not months and years” [..]
"It requires tough choices, forcing trade-offs, as we strive to balance an increase in operations readiness and the need for modernization".