Anti-UAV System Urgently Demanded

Anti-UAV System Urgently Demanded

anti-UAV system

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To meet an urgent need for an anti-UAV system to counter the threat from rogue UAVs, Elettronica (ELT) is developing its ADRIAN (Anti-Drone Interception, Acquisition, Neutralisation) system for Italy’s Ministry of Interior, aiming to protect facilities and venues from UAVs, whether from inexperienced operators or terrorists. 

Alessio Campana, from ELT’s capability marketing and scientific boards, told Shephardmedia.com that the new anti-UAV technology successfully completed field trials last December after the project commenced in 2015.

ELT was awarded the development contract after defeating other bidders, including competition from Israel.

The system depends on passive sensors, with the area monitored by a control station designed to be installed in a vehicle. The first phase involves the surveillance and identification of a UAV, while the second stage features neutralisation or jamming.

Campana said ADRIAN uses a cognitive approach that requires careful analysis of how different UAV systems work and the ability to discriminate between different types. Military-grade UAVs, although they are not the main focus of ADRIAN, tend to be more complex than consumer UAVs to neutralise.

The system would shift a UAV to a safe location and land it as ‘brute force jamming’ remains a last resort.

Right now testing is occurring with global navigation system spoofing, to deceive a UAV as to its true location.

ADRIAN is designed to be used in both fixed and mobile locations. It could be fitted into several vans, for instance, to provide temporary no-fly zones. It is also scalable in nature.

ADRIAN was required by the Italian authorities as urgently as possible, and it will be fielded by the government perhaps later this year after further tests are conducted. However, a step-by-step approach is being taken so that new capabilities and updates can be incorporated as part of its spiral development.