Don’t Buy Blind: A Buyer’s Guide for Evaluating Drone Detection Radar

Lab results and spec sheets can only tell you so much. If you're serious about selecting a drone detection radar that performs under pressure—day, night, in adverse weather, and when drones are not emitting an RF signal—you need to see how it holds up in the field. 

That’s why Echodyne created the Buyer’s Guide to Evaluating Radar for Drone Detection—a practical, scenario-driven resource that helps security leaders and integrators cut through the noise and test what really matters: detection accuracy, track reliability, and actionable integration capabilities. 

Why Real-World Testing Matters

Many radars look good on paper but fall short in operational environments. This guide walks you through nine critical drone scenarios—from hovering and erratic movement to night ops and drone swarms—so you can confidently measure: 

• Can the radar track a drone flying slowly or erratically? 

• How does it perform after sunset or during bad weather? 

• Will it detect RF-silent drones or multiple threats at once? 

• Can it hold accurate tracks long enough to trigger camera analytics? 

What You’ll Learn from This Guide 

• Key Performance Metrics That Matter 
  Get detailed insights on vertical field of view, range resolution, update rates, classification accuracy, and integration with cameras or RF systems. 

• Scenario-Based Test Planning 
  Use proven drone flight paths—like hover holds, elevation changes, or swarm flights—to evaluate how well a radar system maintains tracking and delivers actionable data. 

• Avoiding Common Pitfalls 
  Understand why dual-tasking air and ground surveillance in a single radar can dilute performance—and why solid-state radar is more reliable than spinning alternatives. 
• Future-Proofing Considerations 
  See why software-defined, solid-state radar is a smarter long-term investment, providing regular performance improvements without costly hardware overhauls. 

Whether you're securing a utility, stadium, or sensitive government facility, your radar decision can’t be based on static metrics alone. This guide helps you design smarter evaluations, streamline scoring, and make a confident investment in drone detection radar that performs when it counts. 

Download the full guide here: A Buyer’s Guide to Evaluating Radar for Drone Detection (PDF)