TL;DR: The drone threat has evolved into a fulls-cale security crisis.
Main points:
- Weaponized drones are cheap, adaptable, and outpacing legacy defenses.
- Ukraine’s battlefield shows drones’ dominance and the failure of over engineered counter UAS systems.
- Guardian RF created real-time, low-cost detection tools tested in combat.
- Satellites now enable faster drone response but need ground integration.
- Urgent need for scalable, domestic solutions before drone threats hit home.
Weaponized drones are no longer just a battlefield threat—they have become a full-scale security crisis. Once confined to military conflict, drones are now disrupting law enforcement operations, breaching airport perimeters, and threatening critical infrastructure. Their low cost, easy upgrades, and wide availability have made them the weapon of choice for many bad actors.
On the battlefield, drones have already shifted the balance of power. Ukraine’s warfront vividly shows the terrifying effectiveness of drones. It also sheds light on the stark limitations of high-cost, traditional counter-UAS systems (unmanned aircraft system).
Many advanced, expensive American counter-drone defenses remain idle in what Ukrainian troops refer to as “warehouses of shame.” These are storage sites filled with impractical, over-engineered hardware that fails to meet the realities of modern warfare.
These systems designed for conventional threats, struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of low-cost, adaptable drones. In many cases, they are cannibalized for spare parts rather than deployed for active defense.
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In 2024, a 50kg payload drone cost the same as a single dummy 155mm artillery shell. This made drones six times more cost-effective for delivering firepower. This shift has upended battlefield economics.
A commercially available FPV drone costing just a few hundred dollars can disable million-dollar military assets. It creates an unprecedented cost imbalance.
Drone attacks are now so lethal that frontline troops are often told to take cover and watch instead of fight.
Troops lack tools to quickly detect or stop incoming threats. Without real-time, unit-level intelligence on drone activity, forces react instead of preventing attacks. This leaves major vulnerabilities and lets faster innovators control the battlefield.
The Chinese manufacturer DJI controls over 75% of U.S. drone sales, dominating the commercial drone market. This dependence raises concerns about foreign control over American airspace, adding another layer of risk to national security. Adversaries use Chinese drones for spying, disruption, and attacks. This proves the U.S. urgently needs reliable domestic counter UAS solutions.
Imagine sitting in a stadium, watching your favorite team play under the bright floodlights. The crowd roars as the game reaches its peak. Then, without warning, a deafening explosion echoes through the stands.
Panic spreads as security struggles to determine the source. Above, a small, unassuming drone disappears into the night.
This isn’t a hypothetical scenario, it is the reality we are approaching if drone threats remain unchecked. Security teams today lack the tools to detect and neutralize these threats in real time. A drone with a small explosive or chemical payload can slip past standard security and cause disaster in seconds.
The Pentagon recently reported multiple incidents of unidentified drones loitering over sensitive military installations, including nuclear missile bases and naval shipyards. These encounters raise urgent questions about vulnerabilities in national security. In New Jersey, people filed over 100 drone reports in three weeks after the FAA lifted restrictions. This shows how quickly unauthorized drone activity is increasing.
At the U.S.–Mexico border, cartels exploit drones to:
- Smuggle fentanyl
- Conduct surveillance on border patrol
- Evade law enforcement operations
This shows how adversaries continue to weaponize drone technology.
The danger is escalating beyond simple reconnaissance. A federal investigation exposed a domestic terror plot to attack a Nashville power substation with an explosiveladen drone. Authorities arrested the suspect just as he prepared the drone. The case shows how cheap commercial drones can be weaponized and highlights gaps in infrastructure security.
Despite the urgency, most counter-UAS solutions remain outdated and ineffective. Many defenses track only Remote ID signals, assuming drone operators will comply. Adversaries easily bypass this by disabling broadcasts. Other systems rely on bulky infrastructure and move too slowly or cost too much for real-world defense.
Legacy systems often fail to detect modified or homebuilt drones. These drones’ custom frequencies and encrypted signals to avoid detection, creating blind spots that hostile actors can exploit.
Without a system that adapts in real time, security teams face a constant reaction cycle:
- They cannot anticipate threats.
- They cannot intercept drones early.
- They cannot neutralize attacks before they escalate.
Built from Necessity, Forged Through Real-World Experience
Major defense primes struggled to keep pace with fast‑evolving drone threats. At the same time, a group of physics students at Georgetown University started building a practical solution. They saw that expensive, slow defense programs could not match the rapidly shifting battlefield. Lucas Raskin, John Andrzejewski, and Eli Kerstein decided to act.
In February 2024, they brought their idea to a defense hackathon in El Segundo, California. There, they presented a low-power, real-time drone detection system. Their approach drew immediate attention from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and U.S. national security officials. It highlighted the urgent need for scalable, low‑cost counter‑UAS solutions.
With this validation, the founders committed fully to the mission of Guardian RF. Through D3—Dare to Defend Democracy, a venture supporting Ukraine’s tech defense, they gained access to frontline environments. There, they deployed and refined their system in real combat conditions.
Lucas worked closely alongside Ukraine’s ground troops and gathered data on:
- Drone behaviors
- Countermeasure effectiveness
- Evolving tactics used by adversaries
After spending six months embedded in Ukraine, the team completed the initial development and deployment of Scout. Scout was Guardian RF’s handheld counter-UAS system. Unlike expensive legacy systems, Scout is low cost and easy to use. It uses off-the-shelf components, so frontline troops can deploy it instantly.
At the same time, they developed the Mosaic Network, a distributed mesh system for wide-area drone detection. This network provided persistent situational awareness, even in high-interference environments where traditional radar and signal tracking failed.
Guardian RF added SpaceX’s Starlink for low‑latency communication to stay resilient in contested environments. This created a decentralized, adaptable system that works even in degraded conditions.
The ability to counter drones in real-time isn’t just about detection—it’s about reshaping battlefield intelligence. Guardian RF isn’t trying to compete with high-end military defense systems. They’re a counter-UAS company that fill a gap in frontline security. They give soldiers tools to see, track, and respond to drone threats immediately.
Drone threats are inching closer to home. The team feels urgent pressure to deploy battlefield-proven solutions for domestic security before it’s too late.
The Expanding Role of Space in Multi-Domain Security
Space Capital has long recognized the critical role of space-based intelligence in defense, but its importance is accelerating. Advances in Earth observation, low-latency satellite connectivity, and global surveillance allow faster threat detection and response.
Space assets are more integral to real-time operations than ever before. In drone warfare, satellites are evolving from passive tracking tools to active enablers of coordinated responses across vast areas. They bridge gaps where terrestrial systems fall short.
However, space-based solutions alone are not enough. Satellites remain vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, and direct interference, while latency challenges persist in dynamic combat environments. Integrated, multi-domain approach, combining terrestrial, aerial, and space-based systems, will define the next generation of security infrastructure.
Merging evolving satellite-driven intelligence capabilities with real-time ground response will ultimately:
- transform command and control
- improve situational awareness
- enable faster, more coordinated countermeasures
Guardian RF aims to become a key part of this layered, adaptive defense strategy. The goal is to create more effective, resilient counter-UAS solutions for both military and civilian applications.
Visit www.spacecapital.com/portfolio to learn more about Guardian RF and other companies shaping the future of the space economy.
