Summary: DJI Aeroscope detects only some DJI drones, is prone to spoofing, violates surveillance laws, and poses cybersecurity risks for critical infrastructure.
The DJI Aeroscope drone detection solution, using Radio Frequency (RF) based drone detection, is a product of Da Jiang Innovation (DJI), a popular drone manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, China.
Although DJI discontinued its AeroScope system in 2023, a handful of U.S.-based resellers continue to offer remaining units on the secondary market—but resale doesn’t change the fact that the system is no longer supported or updated by DJI.
DJI as a company faces much controversy in the US dating back several years. In August 2017, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said it suspected DJI was “providing US critical infrastructure and law enforcement data to the Chinese government.” That same month the US Army banned its troops from using DJI drones due to cybersecurity concerns. Over the years more bans and warnings on DJI drones from federal agencies followed.
Some U.S. critical infrastructure sites have attempted to reduce the cyber risks of using China’s DJI AeroScope drone detection solution, and this article explores the different approaches they’ve taken.
How does the DJI Aeroscope Drone Detection Solution work?
The DJI AeroScope drone detection solution works by demodulating RF signals to read the content being transmitted between DJI drones and their controllers. However, it only detects some DJI models—not even all of their own lineup—and completely misses non-DJI drones.
The system reports details like serial number, GPS location, and altitude through its user interface, but the accuracy depends entirely on the drone’s own data. This demodulation approach also raises concerns because it violates federal surveillance laws
What do Vendors Mean When They Say They “replace” Aeroscope DJI Drone Detection software?
Detection systems contain two software layer types: 1) detection/location functions and 2) UI/alerts.
Many DJI Aeroscope drone detection solution resellers in the market customize the Aeroscope UI to give a different user experience to end customers than what they would see on an Aeroscope purchased from a different reseller.
When a vendor “replaces” DJI Aeroscope software, they replace the UI layer and leave key components originally written by DJI, in China, untouched, such as the detectors and the code that reads signal content.
If the detector code is modified by the reseller, that modification will likely violate any privacy agreement between the drone pilot and DJI that resellers claim excludes them from legal action for reading private communications without authorization.
Frankly, if the DJI Aeroscope drone detection solution reseller can write drone detection code, why do they require Chinese hardware to demodulate the signals rather than readily available hardware from non-adversarial countries?
Before deploying a DJI Aeroscope drone detection solution, it would be wise to involve your legal team since DJI directly states on their website, “Drone identification technologies are nascent and may be subject to various laws and regulations that continue to evolve. It is the customer’s responsibility to comply with any applicable laws concerning the use of Aeroscope within the jurisdiction(s) of operation.”
How Accurately Does DJI’s Aeroscope Drone Detection Solution Track Srones?
Aeroscope DJI tracking accuracy can range from no location information to very precise tracking, depending on the drone and flight environment.
Currently, Aeroscope can only provide a drone’s location if the drone is a DJI model supported by the system.
Are the signals encrypted?
In the midst of controversy about Aeroscope use in the Ukraine-Russia war, a DJI spokesperson revealed that Aeroscope signals aren’t actually encrypted.
The spokesperson said his research and development contacts in China repeatedly told him the signals were encrypted, but when he pressed DJI senior managers, they admitted the signals are not actually encrypted. DJI has since halted shipments of all products to Russia and Ukraine.
How can DJI’s Aeroscope Drone Detection Solution be Defeated?
The simplest way to defeat an Aeroscope is to fly any drone that isn’t manufactured by DJI. With the past media attention surrounding the use of Aeroscope in the Ukraine-Russia war, there is a heightened awareness that the Aeroscope only detects DJI drones. The title of an article on DroneDJ’s website says it all – Could Russian use of Aeroscope drive Ukraine pilots from DJI drones?
What about nefarious drone pilots in the US? Well, AeroDefense sees delivery pilots choose non-DJI drones when they think or know a correctional facility has installed an Aeroscope. Never underestimate a bad actor.
Pilots can also change their drone signal’s protocols/encryption which can completely avoid detection since the
Aeroscope relies on reading signal content in order to determine if a drone is in the area.
The AeroDefense AirWarden Essentials Difference
AeroDefense AirWarden® Essentials, starting at just $415/month, provides commercial-grade drone detection in a simple-to-use configuration while:
• Detecting both drone and pilot location in real time
• Identifying most drone makes and models - not just DJI
• Providing wide-area coverage with regional monitoring capability, easy
setup, and an affordable SaaS model
• Including historical flight path tracking and search tools to identify
repeat activity
Conclusion
Aside from the potential cybersecurity concerns at critical infrastructure sites, DJI’s Aeroscope drone detection solution only detects one drone manufacturer and only certain models at that.
AeroScope is often chosen because, like DJI drones, it’s relatively inexpensive. But it only detects certain DJI models and leaves critical blind spots. Today, more advanced solutions not only beat AeroScope on price but also cover a much wider range of manufacturers. When a non-DJI drone causes a major incident in the U.S., AeroScope won’t see it coming.
Disclaimer: AeroDefense is not an expert on Aeroscope drone detection technology, and we are not legal experts. This article is based on research, industry experience, and knowledge, and information gained from government-supervised head-to-head testing and evaluation where AeroDefense’s AirWarden system and the Aeroscope system were both present.
