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10 Years of Protecting the Skies: AeroDefense Celebrates a Decade of Innovation
October 1, 2025
10 years of protecting the skies
Anna Sabryan
LinkedIn
AeroDefense Sr Marketing Manager

Summary

Today marks a major milestone for AeroDefense - we’re celebrating 10 years of innovation, growth, and dedication to safeguarding the skies!

When AeroDefense was founded in 2015, the drone landscape looked very different. Drones were just beginning to capture public attention, but their potential risks to public safety, security, and critical infrastructure were already clear. From the very beginning, our mission has been simple yet powerful: provide organizations with the real-time airspace awareness they need to detect and respond to drones with confidence.

From Vision to Reality

Over the past decade, we’ve transformed that vision into a reality. Our drone detection systems have become trusted across stadiums, correctional facilities, military installations, critical infrastructure, and more - helping operators quickly identify drones, locate pilots, and maintain situational awareness when it matters most.

But our story is about more than technology. It’s about people. It’s about the customers who trust us, the partners who collaborate with us, and the team that continues to push boundaries in engineering, wireless communications, AI, and radio frequency. Together, we’ve built solutions that not only meet today’s challenges but anticipate tomorrow’s.

A Decade of Milestones

In 10 years, AeroDefense has:

  • Earned SAFETY Act Recognition from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, becoming the first drone detection vendor to do so.
  • Secured multiple SBIR contracts from the Department of Defense to advance next-generation dual-use technologies.
  • Expanded our intellectual property with six patents across the U.S. and Canada.
  • Introduced AirWarden® Essentials - an affordable, scalable solution that makes real-time drone detection accessible to organizations of all sizes.

Every one of these achievements reflects our commitment to innovation and our belief that airspace awareness solutions should be both easy to use, accessible, and effective.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Airspace Awareness

As drone technology becomes more advanced and accessible, the potential risks to public safety and critical infrastructure are also increasing. The way forward is not about dramatic counter-drone measures, but about smarter, information-led strategies. Distinguishing friendly drones from unauthorized ones, locating the operator, and understanding intent will remain central to ensuring safety and accountability.

Even if the legal landscape changes in the future, responsibility for the outcomes of any actions will always follow those with authority. That makes reliable detection and accurate identification the foundation of sustainable drone security.

Looking ahead, AeroDefense remains focused on knowledge-driven strategies that distinguish authorized drones from unauthorized ones, accurately locate operators, and empower organizations to respond confidently and within the law. As Linda Ziemba, our CEO, states:


“Our vision for the next decade is clear: to continue shaping the future of airspace awareness. We will keep investing in technology, expanding our partnerships, and staying ahead of the threats that challenge organizations and communities.”

With this approach, AeroDefense continues to combine technology, insight, and collaboration to meet the evolving challenges of airspace security.

A Thank You to Our Community

This milestone isn’t just ours - it belongs to everyone who has been part of the journey. To our customers, partners, and team: thank you for your trust, collaboration, and dedication.

Here’s to the next decade of protecting the skies, together!

To celebrate this milestone, we’ve also published a press release reflecting on our 10-year journey and the innovations that keep us moving forward.

Check it out here.

Learn how AirWarden Essentials works. See AirWarden Essentials.

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AeroDefense FAQs

How long has AeroDefense been in business?

Since 2015, with the first AirWarden deployment in 2017.

What are AeroDefense Drone Detection Solutions?

AeroDefense offers two AirWarden® solutions:

  • AirWarden Essentials - uses Remote ID to locate drones and pilots, providing fast, affordable airspace awareness.
  • AirWarden Spectrum - detects both Remote ID-compliant and non-compliant drones, ideal for high-security environments.
Are AeroDefense Drone Detection Solutions legal?

Legal, Actionable Detection You Can Deploy Today
Many competitors operate in legal gray areas or focus solely on mitigation. AeroDefense focuses on legally deployable detection—providing real-time location of both drone and pilot using signals like Remote ID and other RF emissions. This makes the system immediately usable by law enforcement and security teams without waiting for laws to change.

Remote ID and Beyond
AeroDefense offers detection based on Remote ID, which is now required for most drones and is sufficient for the vast majority of use cases. It provides affordable, actionable airspace awareness for organizations of all sizes. For highly sensitive or high-risk environments—where highly skilled malicious operators are a concern—we also offer solutions that detect non-Remote ID-compliant drones. Our solutions also integrate with other detection layers as noted above.

Affordable and Flexible Deployment
Unlike many systems that start at six figures, AeroDefense offers a cost-effective solution, AirWarden Essentials, for $9,987/year. Whether you're securing a single event or protecting critical infrastructure, you can deploy the system permanently or temporarily—without special infrastructure or integration.

Tested and Trusted in Real-World Environments
Our solutions aren’t just lab-tested—they’ve been used at stadiums, correctional facilities, major events, and by public safety teams since 2017.

Built in the USA
All AeroDefense solutions are designed, built, and supported in the United States. This supports procurement requirements for many government and public safety agencies and ensures fast, knowledgeable support from a U.S.-based team.

Rapid, Sole-Source Federal Acquisition
Because AirWarden holds a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, federal agencies can bypass the traditional RFP and competitive bidding process when purchasing the system. SBIR guidelines allow agencies to issue sole-source Phase III awards to the original SBIR awardee for commercialization and deployment. This authority streamlines procurement and speeds up delivery for federal buyers.  

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Why should I choose AeroDefense drone detection solutions?

AeroDefense provides industry-leading drone detection that is:

  • Affordable and comprehensive
  • Easy to deploy and operate
  • Scalable for any size facility
  • Does not require federal waivers to operate
  • Made in the USA, with full support and development domestically
What is the detection range of AirWarden?
  • AirWarden Essentials covers 2-30km (depends on environment) per site
  • Airwarden Spectrum covers 1-2km beyond a sensor network perimeter
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