It’s Time To Make An Anti-Civilian-UAV System
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We’ve heard about anti-tanks and anti-planes missile systems, but now, due to increasing security dangers caused by UAVs flying in restricted areas, the United States has begun working on some new solutions.
The research project meant to initiate technology for detecting and neutralizing UAVs while up in the air is still just starting out, but it turns out that at least one experiment in that field was already conducted. According to a source involved with the experiment, on last new year’s eve the New-York police department was experimenting in locating a commercial UAV on a particularly busy Times Square and sending it back to its operator. The experiment encountered some difficulties due to interferences from media networks in the area, but it signifies the nationwide development efforts which include the Department for Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.
Due to a sharp rise in UAV use and following a series of worrisome incidents, the issue has become an urgent problem. The number of unauthorized UAV flights has gone up in the past year, bringing with concern for attempted attacks on commercial airplanes or attempts to use them as an assault weapon.
Among these worrisome incidents one can count the many UAVs flying near passanger planes, UAVs that interrupted fire-fighting efforts and even those who asissted smuggling drugs from Mexico into the United States. An even more distressing incident was when a drone landed on the White House lawn, after its operator lost control of the vehicle. Most UAV operators are amateurs breaking federal restrictions such as the restriction of flying UAV any higher than 120 meters. One of the reasons for the difficulties to enforce law in this field is the American congress’ objection in 2012 for the FAA’s regulations initiative for private UAVs.
For now the police is interested in creating the possibility to take control over UAVs in crowded places, such as Times Square, and land them back in their owners’ hands. “We can’t shoot it out of the sky. We have to come up with something that’s kind of basic technology so that if something happens, the drone or device will just go right back to the operators”, one of the sources involved in the project said. “If I know the transmission codes the drone is using, I can control that object”.
More than a million UAVs of all kinds are expected to be sold in the United States this year, compared to 430,000 sold last year. Managers of UAV industries have begun to come up with solutions to relieve ocncerns about these flying platforms. Some have offered the solution to be a pan-industrial agreement that requires a software to be put in UAVs which prevents them from flying over the height limit or near sensitive areas.
The challenge with which the United States is dealing is well-known in Israel as well. On October 2012, Israeli air force planes have interecepted a UAV which is presumed to belong to Hezbollah in the south of the country after it penetrated Israel aerial territory and flew over sensitive facilities. A cooperation between Israeli and American Hi-Tec companies to face this common threat, will be sure to produce results soon.
