Maxym Prasolov, CGO at Bavovna AI, will speak at Battlefield 2027 next week in Washington, D.C., held in parallel with AUSA.
Battlefield 2027 brings together innovators, defense leaders, and technologists shaping the future of conflict. The event focuses on emerging dual-use technologies, autonomy, AI systems, and new strategies inspired by lessons from today’s active warzones — with special attention to the Ukrainian experience and its global impact.
If you manage a facility where airspace matters, you’ve likely faced a new kind of nuisance: unauthorized drone traffic. UAV sightings are on the rise around airports, industrial facilities, stadiums, and border zones. Some are just loitering hobbyists. Others may be bad actors intent on smuggling, surveillance, or targeted disruption.
To curtail drone instructions, you need the right counter-UAV technology. But confusion often arises between drone detectors and drone jammers. Here’s a quick primer from our team.
What’s a Drone Detector?
An electronic drone detector tracks, identifies, and classifies unmanned aerial vehicles within defined airspace by analyzing different signals they emit. Think of it as an “airspace burglar alarm”. Unlike an anti-drone system, detectors don’t try to neutralize the detected asset, but only alert you about a buzzing copter. Typically, you’ll get data on what kind of drone is flying, where it is heading, and whether it is being actively controlled or flying autonomously.
A standard drone detector system may include:
Radio frequency scanner, which detects and analyzes drone communication
Radar tracking, configured for low altitude, small-size aircraft detection
Acoustic sensors, attuned to the sound signature of drone propellers
Optical and thermal cameras for visual or infrared confirmation for operators
The most affordable drone detectors (think handheld devices like Dronetag RIDER) only ID drones by RF signatures. More complex systems like DedroneRapidResponse combine several sensor inputs — RF, PTZ camera feed, and radar — plus use AI for built-in noise filtering and enhanced image processing.
Strengths: Detectors give early warning and situational awareness without interfering with other systems. They are also legal to use in most regions, unlike jammers.
Limitations: They don’t prevent unauthorized UAVs from breaching your perimeter. And their performance isn’t always reliable. In dense urban areas with lots of signal clutter, lower-end systems may miss the mark.
When to Use a Drone Detector
Stadiums, airports, prisons, and corporate campuses that need to spot drones but can’t risk illegal countermeasures
Security teams that want logs of airspace violations for investigations
Organizations aiming to comply with airspace safety regulations while staying non-intrusive
What’s a Drone Jammer?
A drone jammer aims to disrupt communication (RF) and/or navigation signals (GPS/GNSS) most UAVs rely with the following techniques:
Radio frequency interference, aimed at serving command and data feeds between the drone and its operator.
GNSS/GPS jamming techniques to block satellite positioning signals, causing the drone to lose navigation.
Spoofing, to mislead the drone’s navigation system with false signals, redirecting it to a different location or forcing it into a fail-safe mode.
Unlike a detector, this counter-drone technology actively neutralizes rogue UAVs. Although their range and effectiveness varies a lot based on the antenna setup, frequency coverage, output power, and the countermeasures built into the drone itself. For instance, with Bavovna’s AI hybrid navigation kit, drones can safely cruise without any reliance on maps or GPS.
Strengths: Jammers and spoofers come at every price point (with the cheapest costing just $150). They can quickly curtail unauthorized drone traffic via forced landing or return-to-home, or full loss of control.
Limitations: In many jurisdictions, drone jammers are out of reach legally for civilians. Advanced drones with autonomous navigation modes may also resist jamming, making it only one piece of a broader counter-UAV strategy. Detection, however, is fair game and often the smarter first move.
When to Use a Drone Jammer
ISR, military and defense ops, where neutralizing hostile drones is mission-critical
Critical assets and infrastructure in active conflict zones
VIP or convoy protection in regions where legal exemptions allow counter-UAV systems
Drone Detector vs. Jammer: Key Differences
To sum up, here’s a simple breakdown:
Feature
Drone detector
Drone jammer
Function
Identifies and tracks
Disrupts and neutralizes
Approach
Passive, information-based
Active, interference-based
Safety
Non-intrusive
Risk of collateral disruption
Legality
Legal in most regions
Mostly restricted to military/government
The Bottom Line
In practice, detection and jamming are two sides of a layered defense. Detectors provide the intelligence: what’s in the air, where it’s headed, and how it behaves. Jammers (or other counter-UAV tools like net-guns, interceptor drones, or directed energy systems) provide the action when a threat is confirmed.
Without detection, you’re blind. Without countermeasures, you’re toothless. But together, you get a defense strategy that works.
