On September 23, Idaho-based PerceptView joined federal, state, and local authorities for a joint Counter-UAS exercise in Boise, Idaho, demonstrating integrated drone detection and tracking capabilities, including Echodyne's EchoShield radars.

The exercise reinforced a critical takeaway: RF detection is no longer viable for the modern drone threat. Historically, Counter-UAS systems relied heavily on detecting RF signals between drones and their controllers. With federally required Remote ID now providing identification for compliant drones, the greater challenge is detecting the easily constructed “dark drones” that transmit neither Remote ID nor conventional controller signals - making them effectively invisible to RF-dependent detection systems.

That challenge was put to the test in Boise. Using Perceptview's layered system including radar, automated EO/IR cueing, AI-assisted classification, and federated sensor nodes, PerceptView's system successfully detected and tracked a custom "dark drone" from launch to landing, pinpointed its launch and recovery location, then captured imagery of the individual retrieving it. The detection data was passed in near real time to the participating authorities.

Key Result: PerceptView's layered, multi-sensor architecture combines RF-independent detection, automated tracking, and a unified operating picture to deliver actionable intelligence against threats that traditional RF-only systems miss.

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