A Israeli defense technology company has developed a system addressing a fundamental vulnerability in modern military operations: the inability to detect and identify wireless signals across the electromagnetic spectrum in real time. R2 Wireless, founded in 2019, has created ODIN, a passive RF sensing platform that detects, locates, and identifies any device emitting a wireless signal—a capability that conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Ukraine have demonstrated is now central to battlefield dominance.
The shift toward spectrum-based warfare represents a fundamental change in military strategy. Anna Ahronheim noted that in modern conflict zones, the most decisive activity often happens in the spectrum, where radio frequencies have become the primary arena where drones navigate, improvised weapons communicate, and critical infrastructure is targeted. The electromagnetic spectrum, she wrote, is "the connective tissue of modern life," and ODIN allows users to see what was previously invisible.
The Technology and Its Operational Advantage
Onn Fenig, CEO of R2 Wireless, explained that ODIN was designed to give maneuvering forces wide RF spectrum situational awareness and to let them immediately respond to dynamic threats, even in places where traditional surveillance systems fail. The system scans the entire spectrum in real time and identifies everything from drones and IED triggers to smartphones, smartwatches, and wireless headphones. Critically, the system operates without transmitting, allowing it to function discreetly in contested environments while integrating into any command-and-control system.
Fenig emphasized the operational lessons from recent conflicts. Regarding the war in Ukraine, he stated: "They introduced drones on a tactical level," and noted that Ukrainian forces "understood early on that they needed to think creatively without the large budgets and tools that the Russians have. They took something off the shelf, cheap, and turned it into a lethal weapon." He cited the destruction of Russian forces through drone warfare: "Eighty percent of a Russian brigade was eliminated by drones." Combined with recent Iranian conflict dynamics, Fenig characterized the emerging battlefield as "a new asymmetric battlefield" where "sensors and automated platforms have been weaponized."
Fenig articulated the fundamental shift in warfare doctrine: "Now, gunpowder is electronic with RF-based attacks shutting down communication networks. It's no longer about rockets or bullets."
Military Integration and Deployment
Cordell Bennigson, US CEO and a retired Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier pilot with decades of experience in defense, manufacturing, and national-security advisory roles, joined R2 Wireless after recognizing ODIN's potential impact. He stated: "It wasn't just another tool in a toolkit. It created broad-based situational awareness."
Bennigson explained the system's comprehensive capability: "Everything today is connected, from radio, drones, GPS, to how we share information across computer systems. We see the devices, but not the connections. ODIN allows you to see, and if you can see, then you can see everything. It turns the invisible visible and that's an incredible advantage."
The company is working closely with multiple U.S. agencies. Bennigson stated: "The majority of our efforts are with the [United States] Army because they've been doing the largest integration drills," and added that the company has "had conversations with the [US] Navy, met with the Marine Corps, and shared information with Special Operations." Fenig noted that ODIN is already deployed across Israel's eastern and southern border areas, supporting the IDF and border police, and that in Europe one of its largest customers is a major critical-infrastructure operator.
Fenig stated that the platform was being evaluated for widespread deployment across U.S. armored brigades and forward-deployed units. The company is working across the entire defense value chain, including drones, ground vehicles, command-and-control nodes, sensors, communications infrastructure, jamming systems, and weapons platforms.
Addressing Evolving Threats
Fenig acknowledged the accelerating pace of threat evolution: "We're not even aware of everything we need to protect. Threats evolve at a pace totally different from the past. Traditional SIGINT can't keep up. If you have a communications link, we will catch you."
Bennigson framed the strategic competition as continuous: "It's a continuous cat-and-mouse game, a new arms race. Adversaries are always looking for the seams between the seams. Legacy systems do pieces of the puzzle, and once adversaries recognize that, they move to another piece." He emphasized ODIN's comprehensive approach: "ODIN does everything. You can't go around it in the spectrum. And when it's part of a layered defense, you create something strong."
Bennigson also highlighted the expanding scope of security requirements: "As we saw throughout the war with Iran, the frontline doesn't define where security needs to happen. It needs to happen everywhere. We need to think not only about the frontlines but about what else we want to protect."
Commercial Expansion and Funding
R2 Wireless has raised more than $13 million in private capital and continues to expand across the United States and Europe. Fenig and Bennigson stated they are democratizing a capability that until now was limited to defense organizations. Fenig noted that ODIN is already proving itself operationally and is deployed on the border in contested environments.
Why This Matters:
The emergence of spectrum-based warfare represents a critical vulnerability in legacy military systems that were designed for a different strategic environment. ODIN addresses a fundamental gap in situational awareness that recent conflicts have exposed as potentially decisive. The system's integration across multiple U.S. military branches and allied forces indicates recognition that electromagnetic spectrum dominance is now essential to operational effectiveness and force protection. The technology's deployment in contested border environments and its evaluation for widespread U.S. military adoption reflect institutional assessment that passive RF sensing is no longer optional but foundational to modern defense architecture. The fact that a private Israeli company developed and is now fielding this capability demonstrates how market-driven innovation in defense technology can respond faster to emerging threats than traditional procurement processes. The system's ability to function without transmitting while providing comprehensive spectrum awareness addresses both offensive capability and defensive resilience. For allied nations, the integration of ODIN into command-and-control systems represents a concrete capability enhancement with measurable operational implications for force protection and mission effectiveness.