Drones Call For Drastic Counter Measures

Drones Call For Drastic Counter Measures

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UAV numbers are growing fast, with different types for a multitude of different uses. Today they range from large MALE and HALE systems (Medium Altitude Long Endurance / High Altitude Long Endurance) to tactical UAVs, mini-drones and micro-UAVs. As components get smaller and become more readily available to all, UAVs will soon be everywhere.

Media around the world are full of stories about the potential dangers of UAVs in the hands of terrorists. And a number of recent incidents show that commercially available drones have been flown inside the security perimeters of critical infrastructure including the White House, government embassies and nuclear power plants. In most of these cases, no action was taken to counter the incursions.

With flights over sensitive sites ever more frequent all over the world, hostile UAVs now present military authorities and security services with a serious challenge. Irrespective of a UAV’s type or purpose, government agencies and armed forces everywhere are looking for ways to counter the threat.

To try and provide a solution, several defense firms are selling counter unmanned aerial system capabilities, from lasers to point-and-shoot devices.

Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS), which quickly set a small drone on fire during a demonstration in August, is offering a lethal counter measure. The platform, which can be attached to anything from an Apache helicopter to a Bradley tank or operated on a standalone tripod, can bring down a small UAS up to three kilometers away. It is also accurate enough to degrade and disable a drone’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance sensors at a distance of up to seven kilometers.

Because of its destructive capability, Defense News reports, Boeing’s CLWS is being marketed primarily for military clients.

Battelle has developed a lightweight, portable system that uses radio frequencies to disrupt an intrusion without causing damage to the drone or risking collateral damage to people who may be nearby.

Battelle’s system, which vaguely resembles a rifle with an antenna attached, has a range of hundreds of meters (company officials declined to be more specific), and is directional, so it won’t affect nearby electronic systems. Units weigh 7 kgs or less, and can be operated by one person.

Lockheed Martin, on its part, has developed the ICARUS system, which uses video, audio and radio frequencies to detect, identify and disable an unwanted UAS. “We basically detect and exploit the different intentional and unintentional emanations coming off these drones,” said Michael Panczenko, director of engineering and technology for LM’s cyber solutions business. The response is then tailored to a specific drone, and doesn’t just jam or disrupt any electronic transmissions in a certain area, he said.

“As more of these systems proliferate, the malicious use of them by adversaries is likely to increase as well,” Panczenko said. “The need for systems to detect and counter them will also go up.”