Kongsberg Counter-Drone: Echodyne has secured a new deal with Norway’s Kongsberg for its MESA radar technology. The radar maker announced the selection during the MSPO defence show in Kielce, Poland. The agreement covers air and surface missions, with an early focus on counter-drone systems.
Kongsberg has already integrated Echodyne’s MESA radar into its PROTECTOR RS4 and RS6 remote weapon stations. The radar adds accurate detection and tracking data to the weapon stations. This can help the systems spot and engage drones more effectively.
MESA radar to give Kongsberg systems a counter-drone role
The deal is important because remote weapon stations like the PROTECTOR family weren’t originally made mainly for drone defence. Adding a compact radar gives them another job without needing a completely new weapon platform.
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Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg said the company has worked with Kongsberg for a long time. He said the new integration could help bring stronger counter-UAS capability to systems already used by military customers.
Echodyne’s solutions will make “those remote weapon stations, which weren’t originally designed to counter drone threats, effective at countering drone threats,” Frankenberg said. “And this is something we do with a lot of companies.”
The MESA family uses a solid-state radar design that is smaller and lighter than many traditional electronically scanned radar systems. Echodyne says its radars can provide precise tracking and target data for counter-UAS systems. They can also be used on fixed, portable and moving platforms.
The company has also used its radar technology in NATO-linked counter-drone testing in Europe. During Project Fly Trap 4.5 in Germany, Echodyne’s EchoShield radar provided airspace awareness and helped cue Kongsberg weapon systems against simulated drone threats.
Echodyne looks at setting up production in Europe
Echodyne is also looking at making radar systems in Europe as demand for counter-drone technology keeps rising. Frankenberg said European countries are showing more interest in local production and supply chains.
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“There’s obviously a big European demand and there’s rightfully some interest from European countries in having more local content,” the CEO said. “We’re thinking about where it would make the most sense.”
The company already has a large production base in Washington state. Echodyne opened a new 86,350-square-foot facility in July 2026 after investing $40 million in the site. The plant is being built to eventually produce more than 30,000 radar systems every year. It also created more than 100 new jobs, with the workforce expected to grow further as production rises.
The new factory is also meant to act as a model for future sites. Frankenberg said the company now has a better idea of the machines, workstations and staff needed to run a high-volume radar factory.
“Part of the plan with the new facility was that it gives us a template or blueprint to be able to open other new facilities in the future. Because now we know exactly all the machines we need to have, all the workstations, the number of people to equip them,” Frankenberg said. “So it does set us up for that in the future.”
