Dedrone, a developer and provider of counter-drone solutions, has acquired Aerial Armor, which offers artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software that detects drones and integrates counter-drone sensors.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition also provides Dedrone with an installed base of counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) sensors and solutions and a related trove of data.
Aerial Armor, a small company based in Phoenix, Ariz., resells Aeroscope drone detection sensors made by Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, Silent Sentinel’s thermal cameras, and drone detection radar provided by
Observation Without Limits and Spotter Global. The company also offers drone detection as a service, and drone detection software.
“With this acquisition, nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population is now covered by the combined entity,” Mary-Lou Smulders, Dedrone’s chief marketing officer, told Defense Daily in an email reply to questions about the deal.
Smulders also said that “Aerial Armor has built an incredible database of data on drone flights both by geographical area and by individual drone. This enables more accurate responses based on the pattern of activity in a specific area or even the threat level of a specific drone base on past behavior. Additionally, AA brings an existing infrastructure of sensors that enable detection coverage across the 10 largest cities in the U.S.”
Aerial Armor says it has more than 100 customers and has worked with local law enforcers, the Federal Aviation Administration, FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and private security professionals. The company’s customers also include entertainment venues in the U.S. and South America. Dedrone said it will honor all of Aerial Armor’s contracts and retain all of its employees.
Dedrone, which is based in Northern Virginia, provides its radio frequency-based DedroneSensor for passive detection of small UAS, that can be integrated with cameras and radar as part of a C-UAS solution. The company also offers two handheld drone mitigation systems, the DedroneDefender and DroneDefender, that are used to jam drones, and has its own drone tracking software platform.
“We have created a fantastic rapport with the team at Aerial Armor and are greatly impressed with their technology, expertise and the strong relationships they’ve built,” Aaditya Devarakonda, Dedrone’s CEO, said in a statement. “As we come together under the Dedrone umbrella, we’re confident we will continue to find great synergies in our respective platforms and bring new innovations to market for our customers. All of our customers around the world will reap the benefit of our more powerful command and control C-UAS system, powered by inputs from a multiple of sensors including radio frequency, radars and cameras in a single user interface.”
Dedrone says it has customers in 40 countries, including nine U.S. federal agencies, more than 75 critical infrastructure sites, more than 20 airports, and 50 prisons worldwide.
Russ Haugan, Aerial Armor’s CEO, will join Dedrone as chief strategy officer, and Matt Altman, chief technology officer of Aerial Armor, is now Dedrone’s chief product officer.
Dedrone declined to say how many employees it has but the acquisition will increase its overall headcount by 10 to 15 percent.