Drone detection systems compared: radar, RF, cameras and acoustic.
No single sensor detects every drone. Radar measures range, but it transmits and costs tens of thousands of dollars. RF detection and Remote ID can't see fiber-optic-guided or autonomous drones, because those don't transmit. Cameras confirm, but only what they can see. Acoustic sensors are passive and inexpensive, and they hear drones that have no radio link, though at shorter distances. LINCE is a passive acoustic sensor that costs about US$10,000 per node.
Updated October 28, 2026 · Sourced figures at the bottom of the page
What you need to know.
- Fiber optics blind RFFiber-optic-guided and autonomous drones emit no control signal: RF detectors, Remote ID and jammers can't see them.8
- Radar gives range, at a price3D position at 1–3 km, but it transmits, needs a licence and costs US$40,000–150,000 per radar.1,18
- Acoustic is passive and cheapRange of 100–500 m, but it hears drones without a radio. Ukraine deployed about 9,500 sensors at US$400–500 each.10,11,12
- Combining is what worksAn inexpensive sensor gives the first alert and cues the radar or camera, which confirm. That's how LINCE works.
Six systems, side by side.
Typical values against small drones, such as a DJI Mavic or an FPV. Under each system, some of the companies that offer it.
| Feature | LINCEPassiveColombian–US development | RadarActiveEchodyne · Robin Radar · Blighter | RF detectorPassiveDedrone · DroneShield · Aaronia | CamerasPassiveTeledyne FLIR · Dedrone | Remote IDPassiveDronetag | Combined systemsActiveDedrone (Axon) · DroneShield · Anduril |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it detects | Listens to rotors and motors with 8 microphones and AI | Sends out radio waves and measures the echo | Picks up the signal between the drone and its controller | Visible and thermal imaging | Reads the ID the drone broadcasts | Joins radar, RF and cameras |
| Range | Being validated | 1–3 km | 1–2 km | 0.4–2 km | 5–10 km | 1–3 km |
| What it tells you | Direction and elevation, across 360° | Exact position and speed | Direction, model and pilot location | What it is and what it carries | Position, identity and pilot | Exact position, confirmed |
| Fiber-optic drones | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ If in view | ✗ No | ◐ Partly |
| Weak point | Shorter range; urban noise reduces it | Gives itself away, needs a licence, struggles with very low drones | Can't see drones that don't transmit | Only sees where it points; fog and rain | Only sees drones that cooperate; can be spoofed | Too costly for many sites |
| Price per sensor | ≈ US$10,000estimated | US$40,000–150,000 | US$16,500–30,000plus subscription | US$7,000–238,000 | ≈ US$1,000 | US$275,000–2.5 Mper system |
Sources by system: radar 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 · RF detector 6, 7, 8 · cameras 8, 9 · Remote ID 14, 15, 16, 17 · prices 18.
Ranges are the makers' own figures. Prices are maximums on a US public contract, equipment only. LINCE's price is an estimate, and its range will be published after field trials.
What each one does well, and where it fails.
Radar
It's the only sensor that measures range on its own and gives a 3D position at kilometers. It works day and night and in bad weather.
In exchange, it transmits and gives away its position, needs a spectrum licence, draws tens to hundreds of watts and mistakes birds for drones. Low-flying FPV drones slip past it in the ground clutter.
RF detector
It listens to the radio links between the drone and its controller. It's passive, identifies the model and, with several sensors, locates the pilot.
Its limit is absolute: a drone that doesn't transmit doesn't exist for it. The fiber-optic-guided drones that Russia and Ukraine have used since 2024, and autonomous drones, leave it blind.
Cameras
They confirm what the object is and what it carries. Thermal cameras see engine heat at night and at several kilometers.
They only see what's in front of them, through a narrow field of view, so they need another sensor to tell them where to look. Fog and rain affect them.
Acoustic sensors
They hear the signature of rotors and motors. They're passive, low-power and detect drones that have no radio link; fiber-optic drones are even louder.
Their range is hundreds of meters, and background noise, wind and temperature reduce it. They scale through networks of many inexpensive sensors, like Ukraine's.
Remote ID
It reads the ID that compliant drones broadcast: position, altitude, serial number and pilot location, at kilometers and with a receiver of about US$1,000.
It only works if the drone cooperates. Anyone who means harm switches the broadcast off or spoofs it.
Combined systems
They combine radar, RF, cameras and sometimes mitigation into one fused track. It's the most complete solution.
They cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per site, plus software and integration. Protecting many sites that way doesn't scale against drones worth a few hundred dollars.
Where LINCE fits
LINCE is a passive acoustic sensor: eight synchronized microphones and AI on the node give bearing and elevation across 360°, and several networked nodes estimate position.
At about US$10,000 per node, it's designed to cover a long perimeter, raise the first alert on drones that RF can't see, and cue the radar or cameras.
Layered defense, at the cost of the threat.
An FPV drone costs a few hundred dollars. Defending every point with six-figure radars and cameras alone doesn't scale. The architecture that wins is layered: inexpensive, distributed passive sensors give the first alert and a direction, and expensive, precise sensors confirm and track the target.
That's how Ukraine's acoustic network works: thousands of sensors costing a few hundred dollars each that follow the drones' flight paths and alert the defenses.12,13 That's LINCE's role: hear what RF can't see, point to where to look, and do it at a cost that lets you cover the whole perimeter.
Frequently asked questions.
How do you detect a fiber-optic-guided drone?
A fiber-optic-guided drone emits no radio signal, so radio-frequency detectors and jammers can't see it. It can be detected by radar, by thermal cameras when it is in view, or by the sound of its rotors with acoustic sensors.
How much does a drone detection system cost?
It depends on the technology. On a US public contract, an RF sensor costs US$16,500–30,000, a compact radar US$40,000–150,000, a PTZ camera from US$7,000 and a long-range thermal camera up to US$238,000. Combined systems run from US$275,000 to US$2.5 million.
A Remote ID receiver costs about US$1,000, and the sensors in Ukraine's acoustic network US$400–1,000. A LINCE node costs about US$10,000.
Which is better for detecting drones, radar or acoustic detection?
They do different jobs. Radar measures range and 3D position at 1–3 km, but it transmits, needs a spectrum licence and costs tens of thousands of dollars. Acoustic detection is passive, inexpensive and detects drones that have no radio link, but its range is shorter and noise affects it. The usual answer is to combine them: the acoustic sensor gives the first alert and cues the radar or cameras.
What is the range of acoustic drone detection?
Published figures for acoustic sensors run from about 100 m to 500 m against small drones, depending on background noise, wind and temperature. LINCE's range will be published after its field trials.
What is LINCE?
LINCE (Localizador Inteligente de Naves para Control del Espacio aéreo) is a passive acoustic drone detection system. Each node uses eight synchronized microphones and artificial intelligence to recognize drones and estimate their bearing and elevation across 360°. It costs about US$10,000 per node and is a joint development of Colombian and American companies.
Where the figures come from.
Consulted in October 2026. Range and performance figures are each maker's own claims.
- Echodyne, EchoGuard data sheet.
- Robin Radar, IRIS product sheet (April 2026).
- Blighter, A800 Mk 2 data sheet.
- NATO JALLC, report on acoustic sensor systems for artillery and drone detection (January 2026).
- DOJ, FAA, FCC and DHS, advisory on how federal laws apply to drone detection and mitigation (August 2020).
- Dedrone, RF-360 data sheet.
- Defence Connect, on the DroneShield RfPatrol Mk II.
- Euromaidan Press, on Russian fiber-optic drones and how Ukraine detects them with infrared and sound (February 2025).
- Dedrone, PTZ cameras.
- Robin Radar, on acoustic sensors for drone detection.
- Hensoldt, on Squarehead Discovair in the Xpeller family.
- Defense One, on Ukraine's Sky Fortress acoustic network (July 2024).
- The War Zone, on the results of Ukraine's acoustic network and US interest in it.
- Volatus, Dronetag RIDER product page.
- Advexure, Dronetag RIDER product page and price.
- Dedrone, on Remote ID.
- US, 14 CFR § 89.305, Remote ID message elements.
- State of Alaska, price sheet for the NASPO ValuePoint public-safety video contract (updated 9/3/2026), "Axon Dedrone" lines, maximum end-user price.
Evaluating counter-drone sensors?
We'll send you the LINCE data sheet and explain how it works with your radar or cameras.