Guardian RF

The proliferation of affordable commercial drones has introduced novel security challenges, posing asymmetric threats to U.S. national security. These readily available platforms can deliver intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, contraband, or even payloads with remarkable precision, all while operating below radar detection and beyond visual line of sight. Often costing under $1,000, these drones can potentially neutralize high-value defense assets. To ensure scalable drone detection, sensor technology must achieve cost-effectiveness relative to the threat.

Recognizing this evolving landscape, the Department of Defense has launched several initiatives to counter the increasing use of uncrewed aerial systems. The Joint Counter-small UAS Office (JCO) is responsible for coordinating policy and acquisition efforts across various service branches. The Base Defense Cross-Functional Team focuses on providing persistent perimeter security for both CONUS and OCONUS installations. Exercises like Falcon Peak and Red Sands are accelerating the deployment of counter-UAS technologies in complex operational environments.

This threat is no longer confined to military operations abroad; it directly impacts the U.S. homeland. In 2025, an executive order designated the protection of American airspace sovereignty as a national priority, acknowledging the surveillance and kinetic risks posed by uncrewed systems within the United States. That same year, a domestic extremist plot to destroy a Tennessee power substation using a drone rigged with C-4 explosives was disrupted by federal agents. Furthermore, an unauthorized drone collided with a rescue helicopter during disaster response operations in Kerr County, Texas, forcing an emergency landing and disrupting flood relief efforts. These incidents highlight a broader trend of drone-enabled threats targeting homeland infrastructure and public safety.

Guardian RF develops passive, radiofrequency-based drone detection systems designed for force protection and critical infrastructure defense within the United States. Their systems are currently being field-tested under an AFWERX Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR program with the 30th Security Forces Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base. They are also deployed by local and state law enforcement agencies and integrated into commercial security operations. Guardian RF was also selected as a finalist for Falcon Peak 25.2, the Department of Defense’s premier counter-UAS exercise.

Their product, Scout, is a passive RF sensor suitable for fixed, mobile, or temporary deployments. It detects and classifies drone control signals, including modified variants of DJI, Crossfire, and ExpressLRS, at standoff ranges. Scout supports direct integration into TAK and other operational APIs and is managed through GRF-SECURE, their secure interface for live monitoring, threat alerting, and forensic review.

Mosaic extends coverage in austere environments, enabling persistent low-altitude monitoring and classification of non–Remote ID drones across complex terrain—without active emissions or mesh dependency.

Guardian RF, built in the United States, delivers scalable, automated, and cost-aligned drone detection solutions that are passive by design and hardened for real-world deployment across the homeland.