Counter-UAS News from Around the World
Army Times: Drone swarm tactics get tryout for infantry to use in urban battlespace
“The science fiction-sounding goal: Put an autonomous robot swarm of 250 or more drones under the control of light infantry soldiers or Marines to do complex tasks on the urban battlefield. Competitors are now tackling that goal in a multi-stage event announced late last year by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Events called Sprinters are intended to develop “offensive swarm-enabled tactics” for these emerging technologies.”
UAS Vision: Raytheon Partners with Department 13 on Anti-Drone Technology
“Australia’s Department 13, has teamed up with major global defence contractor Raytheon Company to market and support Department 13’s MESMER counter drone solution and co-develop new technologies. A counter drone solution, Department 13’s patented MESMER product can be integrated into security and surveillance systems to detect and mitigate dangerous drones which may be used in malicious acts including war and espionage.”
Washington Post: Justice Dept. scrambles to jam prison cellphones, stop drone deliveries to inmates
“The Justice Department will soon start trying to jam cellphones smuggled into federal prisons and used for criminal activity, part of a broader safety initiative that is also focused on preventing drones from airdropping contraband to inmates.”
Defense Blog: Video: UVision successfully demonstrated Hero-400EC extended-range loitering system
“The demonstration, which took place in southern Israel in December 2017, proved the tracking and lock-on capabilities of the system using a moving vehicle and a human target in various operational scenarios as well as its mission-abort capabilities. The ability to strike a target with exceptional precision was also demonstrated.”
(Additional Coverage) Defense Update: Russian Forces in Syria Repelled Massive Drone Attack on Hmeimim and Tartus
“Syrian militants began using drone attacks in Syria; following repeated strikes against Russian ground forces operating in the country, Russian and Syrian forces repelled a massive attack on Saturday night, downing and capturing 13 improvised, armed suicide drones. The recent attack included ten drones directed against the Russian forces at the Hmeimim airbase near Latakia; another strike targeted the Russian maritime logistical base at Tartus with three drones.”
(Still More Coverage) UAS Vision: Details of Drones that Attacked Russia’s Syrian Bases
Popular Science: China is making 1,000-UAV drone swarms now
“According to an executive at Ehang UAVs, which provided the swarm, each drone cost $1,500, which is pretty darn cheap considering their capabilities. Take, for instance, the datalink and software used. It lets more than 1,000 flying robots coordinate autonomously and synchronize movements, with a flight deviancy of a mere 2 centimeters horizontally and 1 centimeter vertically. If something goes wrong and a drone can’t reach its programmed position, it automatically lands.”
The Hill: WATCH: Private drones cause increasing concern on Capitol Hill
“Lawmakers in both parties are increasingly convinced that Congress must take more aggressive legislative action to prevent the growing number of consumer drones from creating safety hazards in American skies.”
Global Risk Insights: Terrorism and UAVs: an increasing risk
“Violent non-state actors have increasingly been making use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Initially, this was limited to intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. More recently, some terrorist organizations – among them, the Islamic State and Hezbollah – have extended their use of UAVs to include the deployment of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in warzones. Now, the threat of UAVs being used in attacks in Europe or North America is rising.”
Today Online: Aquatic drone terror attacks a growing possibility
“The application of drones for tactical purposes was the preserve of security agencies. As technology becomes increasingly commercialised for myriad purposes, malicious non-state actors such as terrorists and criminals could circumvent international trade regimes that restrict the transfer of potentially dual-use technologies including drones. Terrorists have reportedly retrofitted aerial drones to conduct attacks and surveillance. The proliferation of aquatic drones may plausibly widen the terrorists’ capabilities and opportunities for attacks to coastal cities.”
Shephard Media: Surface Navy 2018: Orbital ATK moving forward with counter-UAS
“As Pentagon leaders grapple with ways to counter unmanned aerial systems, Orbital ATK is moving forward with developing an attack capability to down small UAS within 10km. To date, the company is promoting the anti-UAS Defence System (AUDS) – developed by UK trio Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Enterprise Control Systems – with ground forces in mind and is under contract to deliver two AUDS to the US Army for Oshkosh’s MRAP all-terrain vehicles. Orbital also noted that the team is in discussions with the US Air Force and Marine Corps to field the AUDS on mounted platforms. The system is equipped with a radar to detect UAS, high magnification sensors and an electro-optical sensor pod to track targets and a RF inhibitor to defeat the aircraft.”
Wired: A CLEVER RADIO TRICK CAN TELL IF A DRONE IS WATCHING YOU
“Researchers at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel have built a proof-of-concept system for counter-surveillance against spy drones that demonstrates a clever, if not exactly simple, way to determine whether a certain person or object is under aerial surveillance. They first generate a recognizable pattern on whatever subject—a window, say—someone might want to guard from potential surveillance. Then they remotely intercept a drone’s radio signals to look for that pattern in the streaming video the drone sends back to its operator. If they spot it, they can determine that the drone is looking at their subject. In other words, they can see what the drone sees, pulling out their recognizable pattern from the radio signal, even without breaking the drone’s encrypted video.”
Air & Space Magazine: When is a Drone Swarm Not a Swarm?
“Call it the steampunk attack of the drone world. When 13 roughly-made UAV aircraft made a coordinated attack on two Russian bases in Syria on the night of January 5, some Western media outlets described the attack as the first “swarm” attack by drones. It wasn’t. It wasn’t even close to a swarm. Even the head of the Russian General Staff’s Office for UAV Development, Major General Alexander Novikov, avoided using the term in a media briefing. The incident is probably more accurately termed as an attack by a loose formation of UAVs.”
You Tube: Aussie Business Fighting Drones – 2GB Interview
“The Chairman of DroneShield, Peter James explains what can be done to protect the nation from illegal drones. Interview of 2GB radio 02/01/2018.”
CBC News: Drone drug drop thwarted at B.C. prison
“Prison officials say they foiled an attempt to smuggle contraband into the Matsqui Institution in the Fraser Valley using a drone. The package, which was dropped behind prison walls Dec. 23, contained 59 grams of THC butter and tobacco estimated to be worth more than $26,000.”