Drone-Based Passive RF Sensing System Enhances Target Detection at NATO Exercise

Sky Spy and Orqa have successfully demonstrated a portable, drone-based signals intelligence system during Estonia’s largest annual military exercise, showcasing a new method for detecting hostile electronic emitters in contested environments.

The demonstration took place during Exercise Spring Storm, a major NATO event involving more than 12,000 personnel from over 20 nations. Hosted by the Estonian Defence Forces’ Force Transformation Command, the integration of an autonomous portable signals intelligence (SIGINT) system with a lightweight first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was deployed within a simulated electromagnetic attack scenario. The combined airborne system successfully identified hostile emitters in the exercise area, demonstrating how aerial radio frequency (RF) sensing can extend collection ranges beyond the line-of-sight and terrain limitations of traditional ground-based sensors.

Modern military operations face increasingly crowded electromagnetic environments, heavily saturated with electronic signatures from radars, jammers, and UAV control stations. While legacy SIGINT equipment is frequently heavy, static, or slow to support mobile operations, placing passive RF sensing capabilities onto a mobile, lightweight UAV provides fast-moving units with rapid awareness of hostile electronic activity. This operational advancement addresses critical insights from the war in Ukraine, where ground-based emitters like jammers and drone control stations account for 85 percent of battlefield casualties.

To address these vulnerabilities, the system leverages a modular and UAV-agnostic architecture, designed for rapid integration with various global drone manufacturers. Orqa, currently the largest drone manufacturer in the European Union to build both integrated systems and components, provided the lightweight aerial platform, while Sky Spy provided the passive sensing payload.

Arsenii Hurtavtsov, CEO at Sky Spy, said, “As a company with roots in Estonia, this exercise with Orqa and the Estonian Defence Forces is an important milestone for Sky Spy. It demonstrates the operational relevance of our technology for allied armed forces and shows how lightweight UAVs can become part of a wider spectrum intelligence network. Seeing our system enhance spectrum awareness for Estonian Defence Forces units reinforces our mission to develop interoperable SIGINT systems that can operate across platforms and domains.”

Srdjan Kovacevic, co-founder and CEO at Orqa, added, “Working in partnership with Sky Spy, we’ve shown that combining passive RF sensing with our lightweight UAVs is a practical solution to the challenge of gathering intelligence in hostile electromagnetic environments.

“Orqa is committed to working with leading western players on the creation of third party additions for our latest generation of products specifically designed to support bespoke customer developments. As the largest drone manufacturer in the EU to build both integrated systems and components, we are proud to support the Estonian Defence Forces. Taking part in Exercise Spring Storm gave us an important opportunity to do exactly that, while deepening our understanding of the issues faced by allied armies operating in electronically contested battlespaces.”