The skies above the recent Formula 1 Qatar Airways Austrian Grand Prix 2024, were protected by the AARTOS drone detection system from Aaronia AG.
Security officials at the circuit were familiar with AARTOS from its use at Airpower 2022. The system is provided as a complete service package that integrates into the existing security architecture. This version, AARTOS X9, was installed in a custom-built Mercedes Sprinter. It is able to determine not only the position and speed of drones but also their altitude. It scans the whole frequency spectrum, including simultaneous scans of different frequencies, allowing the detection of all drones operating with radio signals. The AARTOS system provides real-time positioning of both the drone and the operator.
Aaronia’s proprietary software solution, RTSA-Suite PRO, is designed to identify almost all commercially available drones, take control of them if necessary, and land them safely. All data can be shared with authorised security authorities via the mobile app, ensuring they always know the current location of the drone and the operator in real time and can act accordingly.
“In addition to numerous drone sightings on the outskirts of the designated no-fly zones, we unfortunately had to intervene several times,” explains Stephan Kraschansky, CEO of Aaronia Austria. “In most cases, it was enough to warn the pilots about their misconduct. In a few cases, however, we had to take control of the drones and land them safely to avoid any risk. At the same time, the security officials took care of the drone pilots.”
The Aaronia team also set a record of their own at the track. With a lap time of 7:14.29 in the Mercedes Sprinter, the team holds the lap record for mobile drone detection systems in Spielberg. This is just 6:06.60 shy of the fastest lap during the race, driven by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin!
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