Counter-drone analysis and advisory
Understanding what your organisation can lawfully deploy against drones
Counter-drone systems divide into detection, which most private operators can deploy, and mitigation, which is generally restricted to authorised agencies. We help venues, airports, agencies and critical infrastructure operators work out which measures apply to them, what the regulatory position requires, and how to specify and evaluate a procurement.
Detection and mitigation
These are governed differently, and the difference decides what an organisation can buy and operate.
Detection
Private operators can generally deploy detection systems, including radar, radio-frequency sensing, acoustic sensors, cameras and Remote ID receivers. These identify and track an aircraft without interfering with it, and most organisations can plan and procure them directly.
Mitigation
Measures that act on the aircraft, such as jamming, signal takeover or physical interception, are restricted under current federal rules to authorised federal agencies and, since 1 July 2026, to state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement and correctional agencies that hold the relevant certification.
Why it matters in procurement
The two are often sold together as a single capability. A specification that does not separate them can commit an organisation to equipment it is not permitted to operate, which is usually discovered after the award.
What we cover
Eight areas of work, spanning private and public-sector buyers, advisory services and physical measures.
- A1 Stadium and venue airspace security Detection coverage for venues and mass-attendance events, and a clear account of which measures a venue operator may deploy itself and which require a federal or certified agency.
- A2 SLTT compliance and certification Working through the two-tier certification framework that state, local, tribal and territorial agencies must satisfy before operating counter-UAS, together with its spectrum, airspace and reporting obligations.
- A3 C-UAS grant support Help with the FEMA Counter-UAS Grant Program, both for the twelve jurisdictions already holding FY2026 awards and for agencies preparing for the FY2027 round.
- A4 Airport UAS response plans The UAS response plan that Part 139 certificated airports must hold in the Airport Certification Manual, and keeping it current as FAA detection and mitigation policy develops.
- A5 Site assessment and design Assessing a facility's exposure from the air and designing detection coverage against it, including where sensors should sit and what they will and will not see.
- A6 Procurement advisory Specification and evaluation support for counter-UAS purchases, including the approved-systems constraints that now govern what an agency is permitted to acquire.
- A7 Detection system integration Connecting detection sensors to command and control and to the security systems a site already operates, so an alert reaches someone able to act on it.
- A8 Passive physical barriers Physical protection against drones using netting, mesh and cages, which sit outside the spectrum and operating-authority rules that constrain everything else in this segment.
About the business
Airspace Assurance provides research, advisory and procurement support for counter-UAS programmes. Our work covers detection, mitigation, airspace risk, procurement, site assessment and programme design.
We do not resell equipment, hold a product line or receive commission from suppliers.
Airspace Assurance is a service of Vascoh LLC.
FAQ
▸What does Airspace Assurance do?
We provide analysis and advisory work on counter-drone detection, regulatory compliance, procurement and funding. That covers airspace exposure assessments, detection coverage design, support with certification and reporting requirements, and specification and evaluation for procurement.
▸Do you sell detection equipment?
No. We do not resell equipment, hold a product line or receive commission from suppliers. We are paid by the organisation we advise.
▸Can you provide counter-UAS certification or training?
No. Under the SAFER SKIES framework, live training and certification run through the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center, and other providers may only deliver instruction under its oversight. We can advise on what certification requires and how to prepare for it.
▸How much experience does the business have?
Airspace Assurance provides research, advisory and procurement support for counter-UAS programmes. Our published research demonstrates the analysis we produce, including regulatory, technical and operational assessments. Our work covers detection, mitigation, airspace risk, procurement, site assessment and programme design.
▸Which markets do you cover?
Our published work is most developed on the United States, where the regulatory framework and federal funding are clearest. The same analysis applies to the United Kingdom and other markets with comparable rules, and we cover those on request.