Yesterday, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Dubai Airshow, where Droneshield showcased its cutting-edge technology at the Australian pavilion. The presence of CEO Oleg Vornik and Business Development Manager Louis Gamarra added a personal touch to the event as they openly interacted with the enthusiastic crowd. As a shareholder, I had the privilege of engaging in a detailed conversation with Louis for nearly an hour, gaining valuable insights into the business.
The exhibition featured the impressive DroneGun Mk4 and RFPatrol Mk2, both meticulously manufactured in Australia. It was emphasized that every component is sourced locally to comply with regulations for sales to Five Eyes countries and others. Their commitment to security was evident, with a keen interest in understanding the background of those exploring their products, particularly if they appeared to be Chinese nationals. This vigilance took on added significance when later in the day, I discovered another company, Skyfend (https://www.skyfend.com), with a seemingly identical product line to Droneshield. Interestingly, this Chinese company exhibited products strikingly similar to those of Droneshield. Below Pictures I took of SkyFend Pavilion at 2023 Dubai Airshow
In my inquiry about the differences between the two, the only response from the Skyfend representatives, who were Chinese nationals, was a claim that their product was superior. This raises intriguing questions that warrant further investigation. However, it's worth noting that Droneshield's strategic advantage lies in its accessibility to Five Eyes countries, and given the current global environment, Western countries may be hesitant to embrace Chinese technology in this sector. The competitive landscape promises to be a compelling area for future exploration.
To further underscore Droneshield's commitment to innovation, I learned that the company currently boasts a team of 85 full-time engineers. According to Louis, Droneshield is deeply entrenched in the realm of hardcore engineering, a testament to their dedication to pushing technological boundaries. During our conversation, he provided valuable insights into the intricacies of their technology. Notably, he mentioned that due to stringent regulations in Australia, they conduct their new tech testing exclusively in Virginia, USA.
One prevailing theme that emerged from our discussion was the apparent reluctance of many Western countries to swiftly acknowledge or address the evolving threat posed by drones. This hesitation underscores a substantial opportunity, particularly in safeguarding critical infrastructures such as airports. As the world grapples with the increasing sophistication of drone technology, Droneshield's expertise and forward-thinking approach position them as a key player in mitigating these emerging threats. The company's emphasis on rigorous engineering and global testing reflects a commitment to staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving landscape.
Drone Shield is a company that provides a range of products and services for detecting, tracking, and mitigating drone threats. The company's products are designed to help organizations protect against unauthorized or malicious drone activity, such as drone surveillance, drone-based attacks, or drone smuggling.
Drone Shield offers a variety of products for detecting and tracking drones, including radar systems, thermal cameras, and acoustic sensors. These products can be used to detect drones at long ranges and in a variety of weather conditions. Droneshield’s three streams of revenue include
- Hardware (drone detection and defeat devices)
- SaaS (device software updates)
- R&D contracts
DroneShield has its own production facility, supplemented by two outsourced manufacturers, to ensure ability to manage large hardware orders. It currently employees over 60 staff made up of engineers, sales and field support and production technicians.
From the 2022 Annual Report the main product range is as follows:
Brief Summary of Current and Past Products
· November 2022 DroneSentry-C2 Command and Control System Upgrade – software platform, providing counter-UAS awareness and reporting capability. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20221116/pdf/45hn16hsr6375b.pdf
· April 2022 DroneSentry-C2 in partnership with Nearmap https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20220405/pdf/457q1j380l52qg.pdf
· September Sonar One – sonar monitoring device capable of detecting and tracking hostile unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) or diver intruders in protected waters. Ideal for deployment around naval vessels, harbours, and critical infrastructure. SonarOne is easy to install and monitor via the DroneSentry-C2. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20210901/pdf/4501kkmhyww1y5.pdf
· August 2021 CompassOne – device provides real-time military grade location, orientation and direction sensing for deployed static and on-the-go assets. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20210823/pdf/44zkx2hbhvws67.pdf
· August 2021 DroneSim – a lightweight and rapidly deployable UAS/drone simulator that is able to mimic common drone signals for the purpose of counterdrone (C-UAS) system testing and validation. The device is capable of generating aerial (UAV), ground (UGV) and water surface (USV) drone signals. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20210817/pdf/44zcmk9tt2ch7r.pdf
· November 2019 DroneSentry-X – vehicle-mounted drone detection and defeat product. Lightweight at approximately 10kg, compact size and easily mountable on most vehicles. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20191114/pdf/44bkh00sq9q5kk.pdf
· August 2019 RfZero is an omnidirectional drone detection device with a 1km range. It is designed to be a cost effective fixed site alternative to Droneshield’s higher end product RfOne (a 5km radiofrequency direction finder). Completely non-emitting. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20190802/pdf/4474v1xp18s3zc.pdf
· July 2019 DroneGun MKIII – portable pistol-shape drone jammer, weighting under 2kg. Having a shorter effective range of 500m verus 1-2KM for DroneGun Tactical. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20190715/pdf/446lzqk0qszn9n.pdf
· May 2019 RFPatrol – body worn drone detection product. Weighing under 1 kg, completely passive (non-emitting product. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20190501/pdf/444r4gbqzgn2rz.pdf
· October 2018 DroneCannon RW – a lightweight “soft kill” drone jammer for use with “hard kill” remote weapon station. Can be used on a fixed site or a vehicle solution https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20181010/pdf/43z3qbnwk9pthb.pdf
· February 2018 Radar Zero – compact drone detection radar product. At roughly the size of a paperback book, the product can detect up to 750m away and sells for a fraction of the cost of the larger longer-range more conventional radars. Complements existing longer-range RadarOne product. RadarZero is portable and mobile. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20180207/pdf/43rdb8d4n05gzh.pdf
· January 2018 - DroneGun Tactical No backpack – the product is entirely self-contained within the rifle body, whilst maintaining light weight and long effective range (over 1km). Addition of 433Mhz and 915Mhz frequencies, to ensure complete effectiveness across drone models. Ergonomic body and controls. Further alignment with standard military specifications, including standardised NATO military battery power. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20180131/pdf/43r5crbpxb8xww.pdf
· September 2017 - DroneGun MKII development of second generation of DroneShield tactical drone jammer.https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20170911/pdf/43m6wfp64xp3y0.pdf
· June 2017 - Thermal Camera and Optical Camera Products – Launch of two new products – DroneHeat, a thermal camera, and DroneOpt, an optical camera, to supplement its existing acoustic products. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20170614/pdf/43jxmzp3y1thw2.pdf
· January 2017 Drone Sentry Product – an integrated drone detection and countermeasure product. Two key categories of products acoustic drone detection system and second is DroneGun, a drone jammer, effective at distance of up to 2km. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20170116/pdf/43fb8jddq290dy.pdf
· Dec 2016 – DroneShield - Effectiveness With deployment taking place in a dense urban area, the user has opted for DroneShield’s omnidirectional detection sensors (“omnis”), which provide a wide 180 degree protection with up to 150m range. The omnis provide an alternative to DroneShield long range dish sensor product, which is effective at up to 1km in a 30 degree cone. DroneShield’s detection sensors are not time of day dependent, do not rely on line of sight, completely passive to the surrounding environment, are not subject to export restrictions, and cover all major drone models, including frequency hoppers. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20161220/pdf/43dvgx88h84k5n.pdf
· Nov 2016 - Drone Gun – a rifle style handheld jammer device, highly effective at 2.4Ghz and 5.8 Ghz frequencies (the standard frequencies of consumer and commercial drones globally). AN optional GPS-jamming capability is also available to customers where lawful. https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20161128/pdf/43d7xbhdc23d5p.pdf
If anyone has used or been exposed or has any more information on DroneShield products would love hear about it. Thanks