Pasi Tikkanen
Vice President of Technology, Security Solutions
Drone detection service
Loihde’s drone threat detection service detects commercial drones from a distance of several kilometres around the clock without the customer needing to acquire their own devices or special expertise. It makes airspace part of the organisation’s comprehensive security and complements traditional property and area surveillance.
Make air surveillance part of security
Organisations monitor access, properties and networks, but the airspace is often left completely unmonitored. At the same time, commercial drones can discreetly photograph and map out areas.
Loihde’s drone threat detection service also makes air surveillance part of security. The service detects commercial drones from several kilometres away as a continuous service around the clock, without the customer needing to invest in their own devices or expertise.
The service complements Loihde’s One Security® package and helps identify airspace threats as systematically as other security risks.
Why has air surveillance become part of critical infrastructure security?
The use of drones in the vicinity of critical infrastructure has become increasingly common in Europe in recent years. Observations have been made around ports, energy production sites and industrial areas, among others, and the same development can also be seen in Finland.
Commercial drones are affordable, readily available and, in many situations, completely legal to use. They can be used to photograph, map and survey sites at a safe distance without being detected by traditional video surveillance or security.
At the same time, regulation has also developed. The CER Act (Finnish Act on the Protection of Infrastructure Critical to Society and on the Improvement of Resilience), which entered into force in July 2025, reinforces the obligation of critical infrastructure operators to prepare for physical threats, and the EU has made drone threats part of its security and preparedness work in its C-UAS action plan.
Loihde’s drone threat detection service makes airspace part of the organisation’s situational picture of security. The passive detection service identifies commercial drones before they can cause harm and supports proactive security management.
What does the service offer?
Loihde’s drone threat detection service detects commercial drones from a distance of up to four kilometres and also identifies recurring drone activity in the same area. Repeated flights may indicate site reconnaissance or other abnormal activity.
A real-time situational picture of the detected drones is generated, showing, for example, the drone’s position, direction of movement and other available identification data. Alerts can also be instantly sent via SMS to predefined recipients.
The service is integrated into Loihde’s OneManage portal, whereby airspace events are shown in the same situational picture with other security.
Suitable applications
Loihde’s drone threat detection service is suitable for organisations that also want to monitor their airspace as part of comprehensive security. Typical applications include:
- Energy and water supply: detection of drones above plants and in their vicinity.
- Ports and logistics centres: air surveillance as part of critical infrastructure contingency planning.
- Industrial areas: identifying recurring drone activity and detecting potential reconnaissance at an early stage.
- Critical infrastructure operators: supporting contingency planning related to physical security from the point of view of the requirements of the CER Act, for example.
- Security organisations: combining airspace events into the same situational picture with other security monitoring without separate systems.
What does the service include?
Loihde’s drone threat detection service is provided as a comprehensive service. The customer does not need to acquire their own devices, handle maintenance or develop separate expertise.
The service includes:
- Site mapping and planning of sensor placement
- Installation, deployment and ongoing maintenance of sensors
- Round-the-clock (24/7) drone threat detection and a real-time situational picture
- Browser-based user interface and alerts that can also be delivered via SMS to specified recipients
- Software updates and a technology-neutral platform that enables the use of multiple sensor technologies through the same service
- Integrations with Loihde’s OneManage portal and, if necessary, Loihde’s drone surveillance service
The service is also designed to develop alongside the regulations. As the EU Remote ID requirements expand to include a larger number of commercial drones, the number of detectable drones increases, further improving the situational picture of the airspace.
Step-by-step deployment of the drone threat detection service
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Contact and preliminary discussion: the special characteristics of the site, the size and shape of the area to be monitored and the current safety architecture are reviewed.
- Site survey: Loihde assesses and delivers a suitable sensor solution for the site.
- Agreement and deployment: the service is dimensioned according to the needs of the site and priced as a monthly service. The service can typically be deployed in a few weeks’ time.
- Installation and configuration: sensors are installed, the service is deployed and alert practices are defined together with the customer.
- Start of the service: the real-time situation picture and alerts are available immediately after deployment. Loihde will be responsible for the continuous maintenance and functionality of the service.
- Expansion according to need: we can expand the surveillance area with additional sensors and we can add Loihde’s drone surveillance service or other Loihde’s security services to the service.
Why purchase a drone threat detection service from Loihde?
Loihde is the leading integrator of overall security services in Finland. We serve more than 4,000 customers, operate in 23 localities and carry out more than 400 security system projects annually.
The drone threat detection service is part of Loihde’s One Security® package, in which physical security, cyber security, identity management and air surveillance work in unison. The drone activity is shown in the OneManage portal as part of the same situational picture with other security.
We operate in a technology-neutral way and do not bind our customers to a single sensor supplier. We use technologies suitable for each site through one service. As technology develops or EU Remote ID requirements expand, the service can be upgraded without the customer having to invest in a new system.
As a Finnish operator, we are familiar with the safety requirements of critical infrastructure, the obligations laid out in the CER Act and the interfaces of the Finnish authorities.
Frequently asked questions about the drone threat detection service
What does the service do in practice?
The service automatically monitors the airspace around the clock. When a drone is detected, the system displays its location and direction of travel in real time on a browser-based map view and sends an alert to specified recipients. The service also identifies recurring drone activity that may be indicative of reconnaissance.
Does the CER Act require the use of this service?
The CER Act obligates critical infrastructure operators to prepare for physical threats. The Act does not specify drone surveillance separately, but drone threats clearly fall within the scope of the preparedness obligation. The service supports compliance with the requirements of the CER Act by providing documented surveillance capacity.
Can you counter drones?
No. Within the framework of EU regulation, private operators can implement passive drone surveillance, while the authorities are responsible for active counter measures. However, the threat detection service can be combined with Loihde’s drone surveillance service, whereby detection will result in inspection measures.
What is the difference between Loihde and a direct technology supplier?
Technology suppliers deliver a device, whereas Loihde is responsible for comprehensive service. The service includes the sensors, platform, integrations with other security and continuous maintenance and functionality. We do not bind the customer to one device manufacturer; we use the most suitable sensors for the site.
How quickly can the service be deployed?
The service can typically be deployed in a few weeks’ time. The exact time frame depends on the size and special characteristics of the site, and the process starts with a site survey.
Get in touch with us
Contact us, and we can discuss the needs of your site. If you wish, we can also arrange a live demo at our test site in Kerava.