As drones fill the low-altitude sky, security teams can see that something is flying but rarely know what it is. Andromeda fuses data from radar, RF, optical, acoustic, Remote ID and other detection systems into one operational picture, giving homeland security teams real-time Identification Friend or Foe (IFF).
Drones are increasingly common around critical civilian sites. Identifying authorized flights versus potential threats in real time is critical. Today, High Lander introduced Andromeda, an airspace security software layer that fuses multi-sensor detection feeds into a unified operational picture. Andromeda provides real-time Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and correlates data sources to help operators assess risk and coordinate responses.
Sensors Everywhere, No Shared Picture
Most site-security organizations operate disparate detection equipment, resulting in fragmented information feeds that force operators to monitor multiple unintegrated displays. The primary chalenge is not sensor availability, but the lack of an integrating layer.
Andromeda addresses this by using Sensor Fusion to merge data from radar, RF, Remote ID, ADS-B, optical and acoustic sensors, telemetry, and third-party systems into a single common operating picture. Cross-referencing these inputs eliminates duplicate detections, improves identification accuracy, and replaces multiple screens with one.
That unified picture also creates inteligence over time. Andromeda can correlate recurring activity across locations and events, helping operators identify patterns that may not be meaningful when viewed as isolated detections. A drone appearing near one sensitive site today and another tomorrow can become part of a wider operational picture rather than a series of disconnected alerts.
Telling Blue From Red, friend from enemy In security terms, authorized civilian drones are “blue.” They broadcast their position and identity, fly within the rules, and are connected to UTM. Hostile, unidentified or unauthorized drones are “red.” The ability to separate one from the other, continuously and in real time, is Identification Friend or Foe (IFF).
Andromeda bases airspace security on distinguishing authorized traffic from threats. Without recognizing legitimate drones, a security system risks misidentifying every unknown aircraft, hindering enforcement and scaling. High Lander addresses this using Vega UTM to manage authorized flight plans, identified aircraft, and legitimate traffic. Andromeda provides the detection and security layer, enabling operators to compare expected airspace activity against actual detections.
Alon Abelson, CEO and co-founder of High Lander said: “The threat to low-altitude airspace is no longer a future scenario. It is already here and continues to grow. Alongside detection systems, organizations today need a smart software layer that can bring al the data together, distinguish between legitimate traffic and potential threats, and provide decision-makers with one clear and reliable picture,”.
A Global Problem
The threat to low-altitude airspace is no longer theoretical, and it is no longer confined to the battlefield. In January 2026, a drone struck the wing of a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig Airport, Germany, demonstrating how quickly an unidentified aircraft can become a threat to civilian aviation. During the January 2025 Palisades fires in Los Angeles, an unauthorized civilian drone colided with a with a firefighting aircraft and forced it out of service. Recent military operations have exposed another dimension of the problem: drones can be concealed, transported and launched from within a country’s own territory, making their point of origin increasingly difficult to predict.
Detecting drones is insufficient; security teams must discern authorization, assess risk, and determine necessary action. As civilian drone use grows, safeguarding key sites requires a unified operational picture of both authorized flights and potential threats.
Neutral, Drone-Agnostic and Sovereign
Hardware- and platform-agnostic, Andromeda operates on-premises or in the cloud without vendor lock-in. Organizations supply sensors while Andromeda delivers the air picture, integrating with High Lander’s Vega UTM and Orion DFM so operators can manage flights and address threats in one system. Customers retain ful data ownership with zero third-party transfers, backed by ISO 27001, 9001, and 29001 certifications.
