A company that has been helping US allies defend against Iranian drones said its technology wouldn’t be where it is now without its experience helping Ukraine stop Russian drone attacks.
Robin Radar, a Dutch firm that makes drone detection radar systems, has had systems in Ukraine since 2023, and now, its products are increasingly being used in the Middle East. It says it rapidly developed an upgrade to help US allies there, thanks to the lessons learned on Ukrainian battlefields.
The company upgraded its radars in Ukraine to detect larger attack drones at longer ranges as Russia escalated its mass drone bombardments. Robin Radar used Ukrainian feedback to upgrade its systems to detect those drones from much further away.
Kristian Brost, the general manager for Robin Radar in the US, told Business Insider that being in Ukraine was key to the company’s ability to detect those larger objects at longer ranges. He said Ukrainian commanders regularly gave feedback on operational needs, while a dedicated task force collected battlefield data to refine the systems.
“Just the data we’ve gotten from Ukraine has been very important for us” and how the company makes and upgrades its products, Brost said.
Now, that ability is needed in the Middle East, where the company says its flagship IRIS radar is stationed in multiple countries.
Iran has been firing missiles and Shahed drones at targets across the region in recent months amid fighting with the US and Israel. That kind of drone is one that Ukraine and the companies working in the country are combating. Russia has fired Iranian-designed Shahed drones at Ukraine, as well as a domestically produced version called the Geran.
Siete Hamminga, Robin Radar’s CEO, said that Iran is “really following exactly the same patterns” that Russia has in Ukraine. He called it “another wake-up call for Western society” to be ready for drone warfare.
The Iran war has sparked new interest in the radars. The company said this week that it has delivered its IRIS counter-UAS radars to the Gulf region within weeks of their order and that it is expanding manufacturing to support countries there.
Hamminga said the company was already active in Jordan before the Iran war, but it has seen new traction with other countries as “a direct result of the war.”
Robin Radar also works in the US, including partnering with the Department of Homeland Security for counter-drone protection of the World Cup. It attributes its work in Ukraine to its US presence, too.
“If it wasn’t for Ukraine and all the work we did there, we probably wouldn’t have the products that we do have in North America,” Brost said.
Western defense companies are pushing to have a presence in Ukraine to learn how to best work on the battlefield and to get a battle-proven status. It’s seen as key to having weaponry that’s able to work in large-scale, modern warfare that’s rapidly changing, and where weaponry needs to stay up-to-date, too. Officials also see a presence in Ukraine as key: Luke Pollard, the UK’s armed forces minister, said last year, for example, that “if you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up.”
Western officials and defense companies increasingly see maintaining a presence in Ukraine as essential for testing and refining weapons for rapidly evolving modern combat.
Luke Pollard, the UK’s armed forces minister, said last year that “if you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the front line in Ukraine, you might as well give up.”
Hamminga said operating in Ukraine gave Robin Radar “purpose and direction.” Improved products led to larger orders, allowing the company to invest more in talent and innovation. The experience also “gives you credibility in the defense world, a stamp of approval.”
From its observations and experiences, the company also raised concerns about US readiness for the drone threat.
“There’s some, but very little folks defending our homeland,” Brost said, adding that it is “probably behind Europe when it comes to implementing” counter-drone defenses.
Brost said drones could threaten targets ranging from stadiums to nuclear facilities and warned they do not require sophisticated actors to deploy. “I’m very worried about that,” he said.
Read the full article here
