Summary: At ISC West 2026, AirSight showcased their AirGuard drone detection platform, a hardware-agnostic system that fuses multiple sensor types including radio frequency detection and radar into a unified software interface. Their solution is designed to give security teams a real-time aerial picture of their environment across a broad range of industries including airports, correctional facilities, critical infrastructure, law enforcement, corporate campuses, spectator sports venues, and live events. This post covers how the technology works, what makes their approach different, and where it is being deployed today.
Drone threats are no longer a niche concern. Airports have been forced to halt flights. Contraband continues to be smuggled into correctional facilities by air. Stadiums, live events, and critical infrastructure sites are all grappling with a threat that traditional physical security measures were never designed to address.
At ISC West 2026, AirSight walked us through how they are approaching this problem and what their platform looks like in practice. Here is a breakdown of what they showed us.
How AirSight Detects Drones
AirSight’s detection approach relies on two primary methods working together. The first is radio frequency detection, which identifies the communication signals that drones transmit between the aircraft and its controller. The second is radar, which detects motion and physical presence in the airspace regardless of whether the drone is transmitting a signal.
By integrating both sensor types, AirSight addresses a gap that exists when relying on either method alone. A drone operating on a modified or encrypted frequency may slip past RF detection. A small slow-moving drone in a cluttered environment may create challenges for radar. Fusing the two gives security teams a more complete and reliable picture of what is happening in the airspace above and around their facility.
A Hardware-Agnostic Platform
One of the more important distinctions in how AirSight operates is that they are hardware agnostic. Rather than locking customers into a proprietary sensor ecosystem, AirSight evaluates the best available hardware on the market, selects what performs best for a given environment, and integrates it into their software platform.
The end result for the user is a single interface that consolidates data from multiple sensors into one coherent view. Security operators do not need to manage separate systems or interpret data from different platforms in parallel. Everything feeds into AirGuard, AirSight’s drone detection software, which presents a unified operational picture alongside the existing physical security infrastructure already in place.
The hardware layer can be configured and scaled based on the size, geography, and threat profile of a given site, which makes the platform adaptable across a wide range of environments.
Industries AirSight Serves
Drone threats manifest differently depending on the environment, and AirSight’s platform is designed with that in mind. Here is how the technology applies across the industries they serve.
Airports — Drone incursions near runways have forced flight suspensions at major airports with increasing frequency. AirSight gives airport security teams the ability to track unauthorized drones in real time and respond before operations are disrupted.
Spectator Sports — Drones can carry payloads and pose a direct risk to crowds by delivering small explosives, chemicals, or even weapons that bypass traditional metal detection at stadium entrances. Detection gives security teams the ability to identify and respond to aerial threats before they reach the crowd.
Critical Infrastructure — Power lines, water treatment plants, gas pipelines, and oil refineries are all viable targets for drone-based attacks. Real-time aerial monitoring allows security teams to detect and respond to threats before they reach sensitive infrastructure.
Law Enforcement — As drone use becomes more widespread, the potential for drones to be used in criminal activity grows alongside it. AirSight gives law enforcement agencies the situational awareness to address aerial threats as part of their day-to-day security operations.
Corporations — Drones can be used to conduct surveillance, collect competitive intelligence, interfere with networks, or cause physical damage to property. Corporate security teams can use AirSight to monitor drone activity around their facilities and respond to threats in real time.
Correctional Facilities — Drones are already being used to deliver contraband including drugs, cell phones, and weapons directly to inmates. They can also be used to survey security protocols and monitor guard movements. AirSight gives correctional officers the tools to detect and intercept drone deliveries before they reach the facility.
Live Events — Large gatherings present a significant aerial threat surface. A drone can carry a weapon past a perimeter checkpoint or drop a payload into a crowd. Event organizers and law enforcement can use AirSight to maintain awareness of all drone activity in and around the event area.
What This Means for Physical Security Programs
What stands out about AirSight’s approach is that it adds a layer of situational awareness that most physical security programs currently lack entirely. Cameras, access control, and perimeter fencing are all designed to address threats at or near ground level. The airspace above a facility has historically been unmonitored.
As drone technology becomes more accessible and the threats associated with it grow more sophisticated, that gap becomes harder to ignore. AirSight is not asking organizations to replace their existing security infrastructure. They are adding a picture to it, one that covers the dimension most programs are not currently watching.
Want to learn more about how drone detection fits into your security program? Contact the NCS team to schedule a consultation and we can walk through what a deployment would look like for your environment.
Learn more about AirSight and their full platform at airsight.com.
