Airport System Deployment
St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport, Switzerland
DroneShield deployed a DroneSentry system at St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport to monitor and mitigate safety concerns arising from small drones operating near passenger jet aircrafts, particularly on final approach and departure from the airport.
The site is a small airport in Thal Municipality, located where Lake Constance meets Switzerland’s eastern border. It provides access to nearby Lichtenstein as well as being the home base for People's airline, which primarily offers seasonal and chartered flights.
The deployment consists of 2 x RfOne Mk2 spaced 500m (0.3 miles) apart with a DroneOpt1 camera on the northern installation. The camera provides a live video feed as well as identification and classification of the drone. Additionally, the camera can provide an estimate of the elevation of the drone and assist the operator in determining if a drone is carrying a payload. This data and video recording is stored on the cloud and can be used for evidence collection. DroneShield provides regular, automatic software updates to ensure the system is always up to date with the latest capabilities.
RfOne Mk2 sensors have an 8km range, permitting early warning and tracking of a drone’s location (longitude and latitude) as well as the drone pilot’s approximate location, if they are in range as well. Each sensor has a 90° horizontal field of coverage, granting a good view over the primary approach to the airport.
Image: DroneShield's DroneSentry fixed site system deployed at the Altenrhein Airport
System Deployment
Rationale & Advantages
Entirely passive (non-emitting) detection ensures no interference with other equipment, making it well suited for the airport environment
High accuracy with a very low rate of false alarms
Seamless integration with existing security and sensor systems
Ongoing support and updates to keep pace with emerging security threats
Rationale & Advantages
Visual confirmation can help personnel have confidence in unexpected detections
Enriches RF sensor data by providing indication of drone altitude and possible payload to help determine intent and threat level