Echodyne’s Metamaterial Electronically Scanning Array (MESA) radar operates just like a high-end phased array radar, instantly steering a high-resolution beam around a 3D field of view. MESA enables smaller, lighter, less expensive, higher performing imaging radars at commercial price points for industry and government.
Features of EchoFlight’s high performance radar include:
• Precision beam-steering radar that minimizes collision risk by tracking aircraft locations at all times across a broad field-of-view, even in dense airspace or over cluttered environments;
• Best-in-class, search while track radar that scans just like a phased array but at commercial pricing;
• Compact design with low weight and low power for integration into a wide-variety of UAS platforms; and,
• Long-range, all-weather detection and tracking for Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) missions.
In October 2021 Echodyne released a new addition to its portfolio – Echoshield. EchoShield is an advanced software-defined multi-mission radar for a wide variety of commercial, defence, and government use cases.
The radar’s architecture builds on Echodyne’s proprietary metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) radars that are in use across a wide range of applications, such as counter-UAS, border and base security, force protection, critical infrastructure security, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, UAV detect and avoid, and autonomous ground vehicles.
A pulse-Doppler cognitive 4D radar, EchoShield combines electronically scanned array (ESA) beamforming and real-time dynamic waveform synthesis to deliver sub-degree tracking accuracy on hundreds of objects across a broad 3D field of view. EchoShield’s cognitive search capabilities integrate onboard or offboard data stores to adapt and direct radar resources when and where required, while EchoShield’s SDK is designed to enable deep integration and multi-sensor fusion.
Based on market demand, the initial software release prioritizes a counter-UAS mission and detection, tracking, and classification of any uncrewed aircraft, including low slow and small drones even in dense urban environments. Further releases will match radar resources with customer demand in dozens of applications and markets.
EchoShield is designed to operate in the Ku band, with radiolocation service at 15.7-16.6 GHz and radionavigation at 15.4-15.7 GHz, and is commercially exportable.
Its features include:
• 130° azimuth x 90° elevation field of regard (fully customizable)
• 0.5° tracking accuracy in azimuth and elevation, with very low track splitting/dropping
• Powerful UAV classification with low false-alarms and near-zero false-negatives
• Cognitive search capabilities integrate onboard or offboard data
• Average tracking ranges for counter-UAS mission:
• Group 1 (-20 to -10 dBsm): 2.7 to 4.8 km
• Group 2 (-10 to -5 dBsm): 4.8 to 6.4 km
• Group 3 (-5 to 5 dBsm): 6.4 to 11.4 km
Partnerships:
In March 2019 Echodyne reported that its security radar, EchoGuard, has been selected by Black Sage Technologies, Inc. as the preferred radar sensor for mid-range C-UAS security solutions.
In early 2022 Northrop Grumman entered into a strategic agreement and minority investment in Echodyne. The initial collaboration area is focused on counter-UAS, where Echodyne’s radars offer performance and SwaP advantages that are expected to bring immediate mission value, says a joint press release.
