In light of the ongoing tense global political situation – from Russia’s war against Ukraine to rising tensions in the Middle East – the NATO summit held on June 24–25 in The Hague held special geopolitical significance. In response, the host country, the Netherlands, launched the most extensive security operation in its history under the codename “Orange Shield.” Nearly half of the national police force, along with more than 10,000 military and emergency personnel, were deployed. Also on site: drone detection and defence specialists from AARONIA AG.
Airspace Fully Closed to Civilian Drones
To protect heads of state and government, the Netherlands Civil Aviation Authority issued a temporary flight restriction:
• Within a 16 km radius of the World Forum in The Hague, all flights—including drones—were banned from June 23 at 3:00 p.m. until June 25 at 11:59 p.m.
• In the extended 93 km radius, only manned and unmanned systems with special government authorization were permitted to fly. Violations were met with substantial fines and the confiscation of aircraft.
Multiple AARTOS X9 Systems in 360° Operation
To effectively counter potential drone threats, Dutch security forces deployed a squadron of AARONIA’s AARTOS X9 systems for the first time in the Netherlands. In addition to stationary sensor points, a fully integrated mobile shelter solution based on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog was used. This autonomous unit combines radar, RF direction finding, EO/IR cameras, and jammers into a single system that can be deployed in under five minutes.
The networked X9 systems provided seamless 360° surveillance over several kilometers through passive 3D RF direction finding, active radar, and optical verification, delivering real-time data on both suspicious drones and the locations of their pilots. This technology had already proven itself during the G20 Summit 2024 in Rio.
Knowledge Transfer and On-Site Operational Support
Experts from AARONIA trained the Dutch Armed Forces ahead of the summit on how to operate the AARTOS system, including the RTSA Suite PRO software, which played a key role in building a comprehensive situational awareness. During the event, AARONIA specialists remained on-site and available around the clock as technical advisors.
Due to confidentiality, authorities have not disclosed details regarding specific drone incidents; however, all detected objects were identified and neutralized at an early stage, ensuring that there was never any threat to the delegations.
“A mission like this is always both an honour and a challenge for us. I would like to expressly thank the Dutch security authorities for their trust and the excellent cooperation on the ground,”
says Stephan Kraschansky, CEO of Aaronia GmbH Austria, who led the deployment on-site.
