Team of Dutch tech companies developed new microchip to detect unwanted drones
A team of Dutch technology companies, including Thales, Neways, and NXP, has developed a new microchip for radars aimed at detecting unwanted drones. The chip will make the Netherlands a global leader in the field, the companies told Financieele Dagblad.
The new chip stems from a team-up between Thales, NXP, Neways, and several other SMEs in 2015. They launched a study into how to detect enemy drones more effectively and at a lower cost. Over a decade later, the project has proven successful. They developed a radio frequency (RF) chip that consumes relatively less energy and enables radars to detect drones earlier and at greater distances.
On Friday, CEOs Gerben Edelijn of the Hengelo-based radar company Thales and Hans Büthker of the Son-based electronics company Neways announced a 10-year partnership to further develop the new chip. The technology will be deployed on the new minesweeper ships that the Dutch and Belgian navies are acquiring. The tech companies hope to eventually also use it in even smaller radar systems, allowing drone detection in more places.
Büthker of Neways said he hopes the new RF chip will further enhance the Netherlands’ reputation as a radar nation with high-quality defense technologies.
Both the development and production of the chip happened entirely in the Netherlands, Edelijn told FD. Thales wants to keep the radar technology and the necessary components in-house and within the country as much as possible, to increase the security of supply. It also fits into the broader goal of the Dutch and European governments to strengthen the local defense industry.
But according to the two CEOs, the challenge here is that the European Union member states are all doing their own thing, instead of working on a single, unified market. Büthker advocates for the Dutch government to coordinate with other European countries regarding who specializes in what.
“The Netherlands has the companies, the technology, and has clearly chosen counterdrone technology as its core strength,” the Neways CEO said. “That creates a wonderful cluster, but without international customers, it quickly fizzles out.”
