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, ease of modification, and increasing availability have made them the weapon of choice for a large group of bad actors.
On the battlefield, drones have already shifted the balance of power. Ukraine’s warfront has vividly demonstrated both the terrifying effectiveness of drones and the stark limitations of high-cost, traditional counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) systems. Many advanced American counter-drone defenses, developed at enormous expense, remain idle in what Ukrainian troops refer to as “warehouses of shame”—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.
.png)
In 2024, a 50kg payload drone reached price parity with a single dummy 155mm artillery shell, making drones six times more cost-effective in delivering firepower. This shift has upended battlefield economics, where a commercially available FPV drone costing just a few hundred dollars can disable million-dollar military assets, creating an unprecedented cost imbalance. The lethality of drone attacks has reached a point where frontline troops are often ordered to take cover and observe rather than engage, simply because they lack the tools to quickly identify or counter incoming threats. Without real-time, unit-level intelligence on drone activity, forces are stuck in a dangerous cycle of reaction rather than prevention—leaving critical vulnerabilities exposed and battlefield dynamics increasingly dictated by those who innovate faster.
The issue is further compounded by Chinese manufacturer DJI’s dominance in the commercial drone market, controlling over 75% of U.S. drone sales. This dependence raises concerns about foreign-controlled access to American airspace, adding another layer of risk to national security. The ability of adversaries to leverage Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance, disruption, and even direct attacks underscores the urgent need for 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 carrying a small explosive device or even a chemical payload can bypass conventional security measures, creating a catastrophic event 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, over 100 reports of unidentified drones were filed in just three weeks following the lifting of FAA restrictions, highlighting how quickly unauthorized drone activity is increasing. At the U.S.-Mexico border, cartels have been using drones to smuggle fentanyl, conduct surveillance on border patrol, and evade law enforcement, further demonstrating how this technology is being exploited by adversarial actors.
The danger is escalating beyond simple reconnaissance. A recent federal investigation uncovered a domestic terror plot in which an extremist planned to use a drone loaded with explosives to attack a power substation in Nashville. The suspect had meticulously planned the operation, and authorities arrested him just in-time as he was preparing the drone. This case underscores how commercially available drones can be weaponized for targeted attacks, exposing critical vulnerabilities in infrastructure security. Despite the urgency, most counter-drone solutions remain outdated and ineffective. Many rely solely on tracking Remote ID signals, assuming compliance from drone operators—an assumption easily bypassed by adversaries who disable these broadcasts. Others depend on bulky, infrastructure-heavy systems that are too slow and expensive to be practical for real-world defense. More critically, these legacy solutions struggle to detect modified and homebuilt drones, which operate on custom frequencies and encrypted signals designed to evade detection. The result is dangerous blind spots that allow hostile actors to exploit gaps in security. Without a system that can adapt in real time to evolving drone threats, security teams remain stuck in a reactionary cycle—unable to anticipate, intercept, or neutralize threats before they escalate into full-scale attacks.
Built from Necessity, Forged Through Real-World Experience
While major defense primes struggled to adapt to fast-evolving drone threats, a group of physics students at Georgetown University were already working on a practical solution. Recognizing that expensive, slow-moving defense programs couldn’t keep up with the rapidly shifting battlefield, Lucas Raskin, John Andrzejewski, and Eli Kerstein took matters into their own hands. In February 2024, they took their ideas to a defense-focused hackathon in El Segundo, California, where they presented an innovative low-power, real-time drone detection system. Their approach immediately caught the attention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and U.S. national security officials, underscoring the urgency of scalable, cost-effective counter-UAS solutions.
With this validation, the founders committed fully to the mission of Guardian RF. Through D3—Dare to Defend Democracy, a venture initiative supporting Ukraine’s technological defense—they gained access to frontline environments where they could deploy and refine their system under real combat conditions. Lucas worked closely alongside Ukraine’s ground troops and gathered invaluable data on drone behaviors, countermeasure effectiveness, and the evolving tactics used by adversaries.
After spending six months embedded in Ukraine, the team completed the initial development and deployment of Scout, Guardian RF’s handheld counter-UAS device. Unlike expensive legacy systems, Scout was designed to be low-cost and accessible, built from off-the-shelf components—enabling frontline troops to 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. To ensure resilience in contested environments, Guardian RF integrated SpaceX’s Starlink for low-latency communication, creating a decentralized, adaptable infrastructure that could function 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 are filling a critical gap in frontline security by providing soldiers with the tools to see, track, and respond to drone threats immediately. With drone threats inching closer to home, the team is also incredibly driven by the urgency 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 persistent global surveillance have enabled faster threat detection and response, making space assets 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, bridging 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. This is why an 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, and enable faster, more coordinated countermeasures. Guardian RF aims to become a key part of this layered, adaptive defense strategy, to create more effective, resilient counter-UAS solutions for both military and civilian applications.
To learn more about Guardian RF and other groundbreaking companies shaping the future of the space economy, visit www.spacecapital.com/portfolio.
