Phantom Array

Phantom Array

Powered by VORTEX

Passive bistatic radar that detects autonomous, RF-silent drones using commercial broadcast signals. Zero emissions. Full 360° coverage. Invisible to the threat.

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The Emerging Threat

Autonomous Drones Are Invisible to Current Defenses

Vision-guided autonomous drones generate zero RF emissions during flight. They cannot be detected by RF sensors, cannot be jammed, and navigate using onboard cameras and pre-loaded imagery. Against such threats, current detection systems are effectively blind.

100+
Autonomous drone attacks on US installations since Oct 2023
$450K
Cost per IRIS-T interception vs. $20–50K drone
Autonomous drone
The Solution

See Without Being Seen

Phantom Array exploits existing commercial broadcast signals—FM radio, digital television, and cellular networks—to detect drones without emitting any radar signature.

Purely Passive

The receiver generates zero RF emissions. Invisible to adversary detection, immune to anti-radiation targeting.

360° Coverage

VORTEX technology achieves omnidirectional detection using directional cellular infrastructure.

Multi-Band Fusion

Simultaneous exploitation of FM, DVB-T, LTE, and 5G NR signals for robust detection across conditions.

Neural Classification

Neuromorphic processing distinguishes drone micro-Doppler signatures from birds and clutter at extreme efficiency.

Applications

Protection Across Domains

From forward operating bases to commercial airports, Phantom Array delivers persistent drone detection where it matters most.

Airports & Aviation

Runway protection and terminal airspace security without interfering with ATC radar

Stadiums & Venues

Large event protection for concerts, sports, and public gatherings

Border Security

Wide-area surveillance for smuggling interdiction and territorial monitoring

Critical Infrastructure

Power plants, refineries, data centers, and utility protection

National Security Events

Inaugurations, summits, dignitary visits, and high-profile gatherings

Ports & Maritime

Harbor approaches, anchorages, and maritime terminal security

Government Facilities

Federal buildings, embassies, and sensitive installations

Military Operations

Base defense, forward operating locations, and expeditionary force protection

VORTEX
How It Works

The VORTEX Advantage

VORTEX solves a fundamental problem: 5G base stations form narrow beams toward active handsets, not broad coverage. Our geometric innovation turns this limitation into an advantage.

01

Decoy Deployment

Low-power emitters surround the passive receiver

02

Beam Redirection

Base stations form beams toward decoys, away from receiver

03

Sidelobe Exploitation

Receiver captures target reflections from sidelobe illumination

04

Full Coverage

Overlapping sidelobes provide 360° detection envelope

D1
D2
D3
Receiver
360° Coverage Zone
Performance

System Capabilities

Detection

Detection Range

5–18 km

Against Group 1 fixed-wing UAS. Range varies by illuminator band and target RCS.

Speed

Time to Track

200–400ms

From first detection to declared track report. Single-band detection.

Power

Power Draw

5–6W

Continuous operation. Duty-cycled mode achieves 2.5–3W for extended deployment.

Accuracy

Classification

>90%

Drone identification accuracy at 6–8 dB SNR. Distinguishes from birds and clutter.

Precision

Range Resolution

1.5m

5G NR band resolution. FM band provides 750m; DVB-T provides 19m.

Endurance

Battery Life

30+ hrs

From 100Wh battery pack in duty-cycled operation mode.

Configurations

Flexible Deployment

Fixed installation deployment

Fixed Installation

Permanent deployment at airports, stadiums, power plants, and critical infrastructure. AC mains power for continuous operation.

5–15 km range 24/7 operation C2 integration
Mobile tactical deployment

Mobile Tactical

Vehicle-mounted or backpack-portable for events, security details, and rapid response scenarios.

3–10 km range 15 min setup 30+ hr endurance
Distributed network deployment

Distributed Network

10–50 networked nodes with mesh coordination. Solar power with battery backup for autonomous wide-area surveillance.

Multi-node fusion Triangulation Redundancy
Technical Data

System Specifications

Detailed performance data for acquisition teams and integration engineers.

Detection Performance by Target Class

Fixed-Wing Micro-UAS

Group 1 · RCS ≈ –20 dBsm
Detection Range
8–18 km
Probability
0.85 Pd

Multirotor Quadcopter

Consumer/Commercial · RCS ≈ –25 dBsm
Detection Range
5–12 km
Probability
0.80 Pd

Multi-Band Illuminator Performance

FM Broadcast 88–108 MHz
Range Resolution 750 m
Detection Range 8–12 km
Bandwidth 200 kHz
DVB-T 470–890 MHz
Range Resolution 19 m
Detection Range 6–10 km
Bandwidth 8 MHz
LTE Cellular 700–2600 MHz
Range Resolution 7.5 m
Detection Range 5–9 km
Bandwidth 20 MHz
5G NR 3.5–4.2 GHz
Range Resolution 1.5 m
Detection Range 12–18 km
Bandwidth 100 MHz

System Performance

Parameter
Specification
Time to Track
200–400 ms Single-band detection
Multi-Band Confirmation
1.5–2.5 s Reduced false alarm rate
Doppler Resolution
0.05–0.1 Hz
Velocity Resolution
0.004–0.30 m/s Band dependent
Classification Accuracy
>90% At 6–8 dB SNR
False Alarm Rate
<1 per hour 360° coverage
Azimuth Coverage
360° VORTEX configuration

Physical Specifications

Component
Specification
Receiver Enclosure
300 × 250 × 150 mm
Receiver Weight
4.5 kg Electronics only
With 100 Wh Battery
6.0 kg
Complete w/ Antenna
8.5 kg
Decoy Emitter (each)
120 × 80 × 60 mm 0.4 kg · 72 hr battery
Total System Weight
10.5 kg
Setup Time
10–15 min 2 persons

Power & Endurance

Operating Mode
Power / Endurance
Continuous Operation
5.0–5.5 W 18–20 hr from 100 Wh
Standard Duty-Cycle
2.5–3.0 W 33–40 hr · 50% duty
Extended Mode
1.5–2.0 W 50–67 hr · 25% duty
Standby (Rx Only)
0.5 W 200 hr
Input Power
48V DC / 100–240V AC LiFePO₄ battery compatible

Environmental Ratings

Parameter
Rating
Operating Temperature
–30°C to +55°C
Storage Temperature
–40°C to +70°C
Humidity
0–95% RH Non-condensing
Altitude
0–4,500 m Operating
Shock
40g, 11 ms
Ingress Protection
IP65
MIL-STD-810G MIL-STD-461G

Interfaces & Integration

Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps · Track streaming & configuration
RS-422 Serial Legacy C2 system integration
Tactical Data Link Mobile deployment track dissemination
Track Format Standard air defense message encoding
Operating Modes Push (continuous) & Pull (query-response)
Engineered in the United States

Junker & Douglas

Phantom Array was developed to address a critical capability gap: the inability to detect autonomous, vision-guided drones that emit no RF signature.

The system represents American ingenuity applied to an urgent security challenge. Privately funded. Domestically developed. Built to protect.

US Owned & Operated
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