The Challenge:

The lower airspace is becoming increasingly crowded. Drones are now used for logistics, inspections, mapping, research, and testing, while private and recreational drone use is also increasing.

At Berlin TXL, the situation is particularly complex. In addition to commercial and recreational drone activity, the same airspace is used by the German Armed Forces, police, and rescue aviation. At the same time, unauthorized drone flights are becoming more common — creating risks for aviation safety, critical infrastructure, and industrial security.

Today, drone flights are not sufficiently integrated into existing airspace registration systems. Registered flights, unauthorized drones, no-flight-zone violations, and potential conflicts with other airspace users are difficult to detect and assess in real time.

Berlin TXL therefore needs a capability to monitor, verify, and coordinate lower-airspace activity as drone traffic increases.

The Approach:

Project Q connects acoustic, electro-optical, and radar systems through Hydris to create a single operational picture of the lower airspace. Hydris fuses the sensor data, triggers user-defined alerts, and links the detection with drone flight registration software.

The Setup:

A multimodal sensor setup detects and tracks airborne objects in the lower airspace. Q’s UGS acoustic capability provides early warning and classification, cueing the radar for precise localization and tracking. Radar-initiated camera tracking enables visual confirmation of flying objects.

Hydris acts as an integration and orchestration layer, compiling all sensor data into a single operational picture. It provides user-defined alarms and integrates with existing drone flight registration software.

The Outcome

Every drone in the lower airspace is continuously tracked. Operators can distinguish between registered and unauthorized flights, while no-fly-zone violations are detected and linked to the identified drone and its pilot.

More information: Tegel Projekt Steckbrief Monitoring Lower Airspace