By Charlotte Hughes-Morgan Dutch drone-detection firm Robin Radar Systems BV is investing millions to triple its manufacturing capacity, as the global race to fortify cities and infrastructure boosts demand for its short-range radars.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the mass production and growing sophistication of drones has led NATO allies to pursue more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years. Gulf countries are also pouring billions into air defense systems as Iran pummels cities and infrastructure in the region.

Robin Radar, which started nearly five decades ago making radars to prevent birds from striking planes, is one of a crop of fast-growing scale-ups hoping to capitalize on increased defense budgets and the changing nature of warfare.

“Every country now starts thinking — if that’s what a war looks like, what do we have against this threat?” said Chief Executive Officer Siete Hamminga.

The company pivoted to drone detection in 2014, and demand for those radars now far outstrips the systems that spot birds. Last year, it booked more than €115 million ($131 million) in sales — a 174% increase from €42 million in 2023.

About 300 of its 800 radars installed globally are in Ukraine. It has also sent radars to the Middle East, to the US for the FIFA World Cup and to the Paris Olympics.

On a recent visit to Robin’s new 9,000-square-meter, €7 million plant in Delft, engineers were installing indoor testing chambers that isolate electromagnetic waves to measure radar performance. Building the chambers next to the production line means changes can be implemented quickly, executives say.

The facility will double the number of radars Robin can produce, although the company declined to say how many. Robin is pushing to hire more European engineers and aims to employ more than 300 people by the end of this year. The company got more than 10,000 applicants last year, but even so, finding the right people is “always a challenge,” Hamminga said.

Although the company has had three consecutive years of 60% growth, it remains much smaller than many of Europe’s established defense contractors. Germany’s Hensoldt AG, Thales SA in France and Leonardo SpA in Italy all produce radars, including valuable systems that can detect aircraft and missiles hundreds of kilometers away.

But small, slow drones often evade such systems. That gap has given rise to other companies attacking the problem, including Echodyne Corp. in the US and Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd. in the UK.

Although Robin sells directly to defense ministries — the Dutch Ministry of Defense has purchased more than 100 radars — many clients are defense companies looking to integrate Robin’s products.

“There’s a whole market being developed at the moment because there’s so much demand for counter drone and drone detection systems,” said Patrick Bolder of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.

The speed with which drones are developing on the battlefield has placed pressure on counter-drone firms to adapt too.

“It’s a mouse-and-cat game,” said Robin Radar Chief Technology Officer Vivien Croes, who joined last year as part of a wave of new senior hires. “Every time there is a new detection system, you will see that the threat will adapt.” Robin keeps in close contact with the operators on the ground to respond as quickly as possible, Croes said. For instance, the firm modified its radars to operate on the back of moving vehicles after users made the point that stationary systems risked becoming targets.

Uncrewed systems pose threats far from the front lines as well. An explosive-laden drone discovered at Leipzig airport recently sparked panic that Russia could use them to ramp up hybrid aggression across Europe.

“Even before any foreign troops have boots on the ground in our countries, we will need to defend our critical infrastructure and high-profile events against the misuse of small drones,” Hamminga said.