In modern conflict zones, most people think of the large platforms dominating the battlefield, but the most decisive activity often happens in a domain no one can see-the spectrum. Radio frequencies, once considered a technical backdrop to warfare, have become the primary arena where drones navigate, improvised weapons communicate, and critical infrastructure is targeted.
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Yiftach Richter and led by CEO Onn Fenig and by Cordell Bennigson as US CEO, R2 Wireless’ mission is to provide full-spectrum wireless defense for military, civilian, and critical infrastructure applications.
At the center of the company is ODIN, a passive RF sensing platform capable of detecting, locating, and identifying any device emitting a wireless signal. The system scans the entire spectrum in real time, identifying everything from drones and IED triggers to smartphones, smartwatches, and wireless headphones. It operates without transmitting, allowing it to function discreetly in contested environments and integrate seamlessly into any command‑and‑control system.
“We designed ODIN to give maneuvering forces wide RF spectrum situational awareness,” Fening told Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post. “It lets them immediately respond to dynamic threats, even in places where traditional surveillance systems fail.”
Lessons from the front lines
R2 Wireless’ technology was shaped by the conflicts that have redefined modern warfare. Fenig said that the war in Ukraine demonstrated how quickly the electromagnetic spectrum became central to battlefield dominance.
“They introduced drones on a tactical level,” he said. “We’ve known about the big ones for years, but the Ukrainians 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.”
The results were clear. “Eighty percent of a Russian brigade was eliminated by drones,” Fenig said, adding that, along with the recent war with Iran, “it’s a new asymmetric battlefield.”
For Fenig, these conflicts illustrate a broader shift. “Sensors and automated platforms have been weaponized,” he said. “Now, gunpowder is electronic with RF‑based attacks shutting down communication networks. It’s no longer about rockets or bullets.”
Expanding into the US and Europe
Since opening a US subsidiary with Bennigson at the head, R2 Wireless has accelerated its work with American defense organizations. For Cordell, a retired Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier pilot and Forward Air Controller whose career spans decades in defense, manufacturing, and national‑security advisory roles, “defense and national security has always been a service,” he told D&T. “My entire family is the same.”
Cordell said he joined R2 Wireless after seeing ODIN’s potential impact. “It wasn’t just another tool in a toolkit,” he said. “It created broad‑based situational awareness.”
He described the electromagnetic spectrum as the connective tissue of modern life. “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.”
Benningson said that the company is now working closely with multiple US agencies. “The majority of our efforts are with the [United States] Army because they’ve been doing the largest integration drills,” he said, adding that the company has also “had conversations with the [US] Navy, met with the Marine Corps, and shared information with Special Operations. We’ll also be at SOF Week and Innovation Alley.”
Operationally deployed
ODIN is designed to integrate across the entire operational ecosystem and is already deployed across Israel’s eastern and southern border areas, supporting the IDF and border police.
In Europe, one of its largest customers is a major critical‑infrastructure operator.
“We’re working with drones, ground vehicles,C2 nodes, sensors that complement ODIN, communications infrastructure, jamming systems, rockets, machine guns-everyone and everything in the value chain,” Fenig said. “ODIN gives the overall situational awareness needed to complete the mission.”
He explained that the platform was being evaluated for widespread deployment across US armored brigades and forward‑deployed units. “We’re not even aware of everything we need to protect,” he said. “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.”
Both leaders emphasized that adversaries are constantly searching for gaps in existing defenses. “It’s a continuous cat‑and‑mouse game, a new arms race,” Benningson said. “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 argued that ODIN’s comprehensive spectrum coverage closes those gaps. “ODIN does everything,” he said. “You can’t go around it in the spectrum. And when it’s part of a layered defense, you create something strong.”
Benningson added that the need for RF awareness extends far beyond front‑line combat. “As we saw throughout the war with Iran, the frontline doesn’t define where security needs to happen,” he said. “It needs to happen everywhere. We need to think not only about the frontlines but about what else we want to protect.”
A new layer of defense
R2 Wireless has raised more than $13 million and continues to expand across the US and Europe. Fening and Benningson describe their mission as making a once‑exclusive military capability widely accessible. “We’re democratizing a capability that until now was limited to defense organizations,” Fenig told D&T.
ODIN, he added, is already proving itself. “It’s out on the border in contested environments operationally,” he said.
As RF‑driven threats continue to evolve, R2 Wireless is positioning itself as the company that can reveal and secure the invisible battlespace.