RIDAR-U
A rugged, ATAK-ready airspace sensor that decodes Remote ID drones and ADS-B crewed aircraft — the drone, the pilot who launched it, and the traffic above them, all on one map. A rugged aluminum enclosure at 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in — sized to ride in a mag pouch, powered from your EUD over USB-C, and completely passive: it never transmits.
RIDAR ATAK PLUGIN · NOW FREE
Turn your EUD into a drone detector.
The RIDAR plugin is now free. Install it on any Android EUD running ATAK and start seeing Remote ID drones — and the pilot — on your map. No hardware required to begin.
Why RIDAR-U
Half the traffic over your team never broadcasts Remote ID — it squawks ADS-B, and it is crewed. RIDAR-U decodes both: the quadcopter at 400 feet and the helicopter at 2,000, on ^one map^, with the ^pilot pinned^ and the signal ^verified^. A ^rugged aluminum^ body at 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in, small enough to ^ride in a mag pouch^, and it never transmits ^a single watt^.
Drone detection range
Detection to map
ADS-B aircraft radius
Transmitted — ever. RX-only.
The detection chain
From first broadcast
to the whole airspace.
Signal awareness
Not just aircraft.
Everything transmitting.
RIDAR-U also surfaces the Bluetooth and WiFi emitters around you — phones, cameras, trackers, access points — and points you toward each one with passive direction finding. It only ever listens, so you never light up.
- BLE 4/5 and WiFi beacon + NaN, captured passively
- Direction finding toward every source on the map
- More operators, sharper fix — the team triangulates together
Rugged carry
Rides in a mag pouch.
RIDAR-U is small enough to live in a standard rifle mag pouch and machined from a single aluminum billet at 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in, so rain, dust, and a dropped ruck are non-events. Pull it out, run the USB-C cable to the EUD, and detections populate the map within seconds — no assembly, no calibration, no internal battery to charge or replace.
One sensor, three ways
Three ways
to run RIDAR.
The same detection engine — Remote ID, ADS-B, spoof analysis, IFF, and team CoT — wherever you work. Pick the surface that fits the mission.
Run RIDAR on its own device — a full tactical app with its own map, live drone and aircraft tracks, spoof analysis, and track history. No ATAK and no server required.
Push every detection straight onto the ATAK map as CoT — drones with the pilot pinned, crewed aircraft alongside them, the airspace shared to your whole team over network, mesh, or radio.
Watch the airspace from a live web dashboard — built for the TOC or command post to monitor and review detections with nothing to install.
Choose your RIDAR
Two builds.
One detection core.
Both models run the identical detection software — Remote ID, Bluetooth and WiFi passive direction finding, spoof analysis, IFF, history, and team CoT. The hardware is the difference: carbon fiber built around the MAAK ecosystem, or a rugged aluminum body that adds ADS-B and rides in a mag pouch.
| Carbon fiber · MAAK RIDAR-FM | Rugged aluminum + ADS-B RIDAR-U This page | |
|---|---|---|
| Remote ID drones | RIDAR-FM Yes — DJI, Autel, Skydio, Parrot, Flock — 2–5 km | RIDAR-U Yes — DJI, Autel, Skydio, Parrot, Flock — 2–5 km |
| ADS-B crewed aircraft | RIDAR-FM No — Not included — Remote ID drones only | RIDAR-U Yes — Decodes crewed traffic within a 100-mile radius |
| Bluetooth + WiFi passive DF | RIDAR-FM Yes — Passive direction finding on every nearby emitter | RIDAR-U Yes — Passive direction finding on every nearby emitter |
| Spoof detection + IFF | RIDAR-FM Yes — On-device authenticity scoring and friend/foe marking | RIDAR-U Yes — On-device authenticity scoring and friend/foe marking |
| Team sharing | RIDAR-FM Yes — Every detection to every map over network, mesh, or radio | RIDAR-U Yes — Every detection to every map over network, mesh, or radio |
| Enclosure | RIDAR-FM Lightweight carbon fiber field module for the MAAK ecosystem | RIDAR-U Machined aluminum — rugged · 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in |
| Carry & mounting | RIDAR-FM Mounts into MAAK cases, chest mounts, and field modules | RIDAR-U Fits a standard rifle mag pouch |
| Power | RIDAR-FM USB-C from the EUD — no internal battery | RIDAR-U USB-C from the EUD — no internal battery |
| Best for | RIDAR-FM Drone-only mission sets built around MAAK | RIDAR-U A full airspace picture — drones and crewed aircraft, in any weather |
| Price | RIDAR-FM From $700 | RIDAR-U $1,500 |
Same detection core. Pick the body for your mission.
See the RIDAR-FM →FAQ
The questions
operators ask first.
Full documentation in the GoTAK knowledge base. Community support on Discord. Procurement support direct from sales.
What do I need to run RIDAR-U — and what does the U stand for?+
The U is for USB — RIDAR-U is a complete sensor in a rugged aluminum enclosure measuring 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in — it plugs into an Android EUD running ATAK 5.2 or newer over USB-C (Bluetooth is also supported), powered from the EUD with no internal battery. The ATAK plugin is included; once connected, detections appear on your map within seconds. Each unit is hand-built to order in the USA and ships with all antennas and a waterproof USB-C cable in the box.
What does the ADS-B receiver actually give me?+
RIDAR-U decodes the 1090 MHz ADS-B broadcasts that crewed aircraft transmit — typically within a 100-mile radius, terrain permitting — and drops each one on the same map as your drone tracks, with callsign, altitude, ground speed, heading, and squawk. That means a single picture covering both the quadcopter at 400 feet and the medevac helicopter above it, which is what you need before you launch anything of your own. RIDAR-FM does not include ADS-B.
How big is it, and how do operators carry it?+
The aluminum enclosure measures 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in — small enough to ride in a standard rifle mag pouch, and rugged enough that it does not need babying there. Operators run it body-worn on a plate carrier or pack, mounted in a vehicle, or set at a fixed overwatch position — the operating picture is identical in all three. It draws power from the EUD over USB-C, so there is no separate battery to manage.
Does RIDAR-U transmit or jam anything?+
No — RIDAR-U only listens. It never transmits, jams, or interferes with anything, which keeps it quiet, undetectable, and legal to run in places where active counter-drone gear isn't allowed.
Which drones does it detect — and which does it not?+
Almost every commercial drone — DJI, Autel, Skydio, Parrot, Flock and the rest — broadcasts a Remote ID signal, and RIDAR-U catches it. It also tracks crewed aircraft over ADS-B. The only aircraft it cannot see are FPV or hand-built drones that broadcast neither.
How does spoof detection work?+
RIDAR-U scores every detection for authenticity, weighing multiple characteristics of the signal and its behavior into a single confidence level. Likely spoofed, replayed, or fabricated tracks are flagged with a clear AUTHENTIC or SPOOFED verdict on the detection card, and the scoring runs entirely on-device. We don't publish the specific factors the analyzer weighs — keeping them private is what keeps the scoring robust against spoofers who would try to game it.
Does it work offline?+
Yes — completely. Everything runs on the device itself, so RIDAR-U works with no internet, no signal, and no cloud. Give it a connection and it adds extra detail when it can — but it never depends on one.
How does my team see the detections?+
Every detection is shared to your team's maps automatically — over your network, a mesh, or a radio. One operator's RIDAR-U becomes the whole team's picture of the sky, with no setup on each device.
Does it cover the higher frequencies too?+
RIDAR-U covers the main band where drones, Bluetooth, and WiFi broadcast, and works together with your device to extend into the higher band too — so you get the full picture with no extra gear.
How to setup an EUD to be a sensor+
About two minutes per phone. In RIDAR, switch Live RF (EUD) on. In Android, grant ATAK Location (Precise) and Nearby devices, then turn on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Location. Finally turn Wi-Fi scan throttling off in Developer options — the step most operators miss, and the one that takes Wi-Fi Remote ID from one sweep every 30 seconds to full rate.
More questions? Ask on Discord or email sales@getgotak.com.
GoTAK Discord →RIDAR-U · Built to order in the USA
The whole airspace, accounted for. Silently.
Every Remote ID drone and every ADS-B aircraft — identified, ranged, verified, and on every screen your team is watching. Rugged aluminum, sized for a mag pouch, powered by the EUD already in your kit. It never transmits a thing.
$1,500 · hand-built to order · next batch ships September 2026