Robin Radar Systems IRIS

The IRIS from Robin Radar Systems (Netherlands) is a 360-degree drone-detection radar in the X-band with 3D FMCW processing and AI classification. It succeeds the ELVIRA and can be used stationary or vehicle-mounted, including on the move at up to 100 km/h. The manufacturer names airports, military use, critical infrastructure and prisons as fields of use.

The datasheet gives the detection range by EU drone class: 1.1 km for C0 (under 250 g), 3.1 km for C1 (under 900 g) and 3.7 km for C2 (under 4 kg). Range grows with drone size; the 5 km and, in long-range mode, 12 km are instrumented ranges, not figures for drones. The radar uses 8.775 to 9.8 GHz, covers 360 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees in height, weighs 29 kg, draws under 336 W and is protected to IP66 against dust and water jets.

Radars transmit too: in Germany every use of a frequency needs an assignment from the Bundesnetzagentur (Section 91(1) TKG). How frequency use is regulated in Poland has to be clarified with the competent authorities before deployment. The class figures C0 to C2 come from the EU drone regulation; not every drone carries a class label, for example older models or home-builds. The radar detects and tracks; jammers may be operated only by authorities in Germany and Poland (Section 91 TKG, Article 42 of the Polish Electronic Communications Law).

In selection the smallest drone class to be detected counts: for C0 drones, 1.1 km is the planning limit, not the 3.7 km of C2. Operation on the move adds vibration and a power supply of up to 336 W. The AI classification needs maintained software; new drone types and interference-heavy environments call for updates. Seals and connectors need checking, as do bearings and drive if the antenna rotates. Cameras and RF detectors complement identification.