Robin Radar Systems
Dutch radar company building 3D drone- and bird-detection radars; its IRIS system is deployed in 40+ countries including active combat use in Ukraine.
Background
Robin Radar Systems was founded in 2010 in The Hague, Netherlands, drawing on radar research lineage the company traces back over four decades.
The firm began in civil aviation bird-strike detection before pivoting hard toward counter-UAS as drone threats multiplied. CEO Jelle Verdonk has led the scale-up phase.
The core product line centers on IRIS, a 3D 360-degree drone-detection radar Robin calls its counter-UAS gold standard. It also markets MAX and Elvira, which provide all-aspect scanning with altitude and 3D tracking.
In June 2026 Robin announced a strategic partnership with Dutch defense research institute TNO to co-develop and industrialize a new airborne radar platform targeting ISR, search-and-rescue, and government defense users.
Robin sells direct to ministries of defense, NATO, critical-infrastructure operators, and integration partners worldwide. Headcount grew from roughly 25 in 2020 to approximately 225 by end-2025, reflecting defense-driven demand.
The company holds 300-plus deployed systems globally and 29 patents. It maintains a U.S. office in Virginia alongside its Hague headquarters.
Financial footing
- Parcom growth investment (2024)
- Leading defense/security drone-detection radar
- Backers: Parcom, Mainport Innovation Fund, Inkef
Parcom became majority owner in a growth investment closed in 2024; no transaction value has been publicly disclosed. Earlier backers include Mainport Innovation Fund and Inkef Capital, but round sizes and dates for those earlier tranches have not been made public. Total capital raised across all rounds remains undisclosed. No valuation figure has been published by the company or its investors. Robin Radar is privately held.
Revenue and backlog figures are not disclosed publicly. The clearest proxy for commercial scale is the Dutch Ministry of Defence contract stream: 51 IRIS radars ordered in 2023 for Ukraine donation, another 51 in 2024, and a further doubling in 2025, culminating in a November 2025 announcement of 100 early-warning radar systems with deliveries through 2026. Contract values for those tranches have not been released.
Major customers & contracts
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is Robin Radar's anchor government customer. In 2023 the Dutch MoD ordered 51 IRIS radars for donation to Ukraine under its Task Force for Ukraine program. A second order of 51 units followed in 2024. In November 2025 the Dutch MoD announced acquisition of 100 early-warning radar systems from Robin, with phased delivery through 2026. Robin states it has supplied IRIS systems to Ukraine via the Dutch MoD for three consecutive years through at least December 2025.
Beyond the Netherlands, Robin describes customers across NATO member states, government agencies, and critical-infrastructure operators in 40-plus countries, though specific named foreign-government contracts and award values outside the Dutch MoD stream have not been publicly confirmed. The TNO partnership signed June 2026 targets additional defense and government ISR customers but has not yet produced disclosed procurement awards.
Leadership & contact surface
Leadership: Siete Hamminga
Official site: https://robinradar.com
Competitive position
Hensoldt (Germany) competes directly with its SPEXER counter-UAS radar family, backed by deep Bundeswehr integration and larger systems-integration budgets; Robin's edge is purpose-built small-form-factor 3D drone detection with battlefield-proven software refined through Ukrainian operational feedback. Blighter Surveillance Systems (UK) offers electronic-scanning ground surveillance radars in the same C-UAS tier; Robin differentiates on 3D altitude tracking and avian-discrimination algorithms inherited from its bird-detection heritage.
Echodyne (US) fields MESA-based compact radars for drone detection; Robin counters with a larger installed base in European NATO and direct MoD procurement relationships. RADA Electronic Industries (Israel, now part of Leonardo DRS) supplies multi-mission hemispheric radars to US and NATO armies; Robin lacks RADA's US Army program-of-record status but holds stronger traction in European civil-military dual-use deployments. The broader C-UAS radar market is fragmenting as every NATO nation accelerates drone-defense spending, which favors Robin's European footprint but exposes it to consolidation pressure from prime contractors acquiring niche radar firms.
Battlefield relevance
More than 200 Robin IRIS radars are deployed in Ukraine, supplied through the Dutch Ministry of Defence Task Force for Ukraine across three consecutive years ending at least December 2025. The systems provide early-warning drone detection against Russian UAS threats. Ukrainian battlefield experience — specifically the volume and diversity of Russian drone signatures encountered in combat — drove a software upgrade that more than doubled IRIS detection range, a capability improvement subsequently available across the wider installed base.
The Dutch MoD's November 2025 order for 100 additional systems, with delivery through 2026, is directly linked to validated Ukrainian operational performance. No other specific combat theaters or unit-level deployments have been publicly confirmed beyond the Ukraine mission set.
Sources & verification
- Defense News – Dutch MoD acquires 100 Robin Radar systems, Ukraine deployment
- Robin Radar Systems – IRIS and TNO partnership announcement
- Reuters – Dutch defense ministry radar procurement
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/robin-radar-systems-b-v-
- https://www.tno.nl/en/newsroom/2026/06/robin-radar-tno-develop-airborne-radar/
- https://dronelife.com/2026/03/05/from-birds-to-drones-robin-radar-technology-joins-world-cup-security-effort/
- https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/netherlands-buys-drone-detection-radars-after-recent-sightings-2025-11-27/
- https://thedefensepost.com/2025/12/01/netherlands-drone-hunting-radars/
- https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/24/dutch-radar-firm-robin-turns-bird-spotting-skills-into-drone-defense/
- https://www.robinradar.com/news-events/robin-radar-commemorates-milestone-dutch-mod-contract-to-supply-100-iris-radars-to-protect-domestic-airspace
- https://www.robinradar.com/case-studies
- https://www.highergov.com/awardee/robin-radar-systems-b-v-13049645/
- https://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/42544-the-dutch-ministry-of-defense-purchases-51-mobile-radars-for-drone-detection-in-ukraine
- https://www.aeroexpo.online/soc/robin-radar-systems-bv-168910.html
- https://www.facebook.com/p/Robin-Radar-Systems-100057432490205/
- https://www.defencefinancemonitor.com/p/robin-radar-systems-netherlands-strategic
- https://www.internationalairportreview.com/company_profile/147026/robin-radar-systems-2/
- https://www.nidv.eu/en/industry-guide/robin-radar-systems-b-v/