Counter-UAS News from Around the World
Janes 360: D13’s MESMER applies RF manipulation for C-UAS
“MESMER uses radio frequency (RF) protocol manipulation to take advantage of the weaknesses in a system’s digital radio signal to execute commands such as land, return home, or hover, without jamming the signal, Jonathan Hunter, CEO of D13, told Jane’s.”
IndraStra: Civilian Microdrones, IEDs, and Extremists
“Unmanned aerial vehicles/systems (UAVs/UAS), have been used by military forces in conflict zones to meet various operational requirements for a long time. However, it is only now, due to the availability of drone technologies from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) market sources, that the use of the UAV/Drones1 in the civilian arena have found multifarious applications. This availability of Drones is also being gainfully exploited by terrorists/extremists/non-state actors/insurgents& rebels for furthering their nefarious purposes. The Drones have been weaponized innovatively to drop mini bombs, booby-trapping, and carrying out kamikaze attacks on the targets of interest. The exploding of a precision crashed drone, in a target area using remote means, at a time of choice is a more recent phenomenon.”
sUAS News: The National Council on Public Safety UAS
“This Intent of this article is to solicit information, policies/procedures, links to UAS video footage of public safety missions, lessons learned, etc., that can be posted on the National Council’s website. Additionally, information of counter UAS (C-UAS) information is equally important for public safety to know about the emerging counter technologies and the related laws and regulations on their use.”
UAS Vision: APS Wins Law Enforcement Counter-UAS Contract
“Poland’s Advanced Protection Systems landed a major contract for delivery of Ctrl+Sky multi-sensor drone detection system to a law enforcement client in one of EU/NATO countries outside of Poland.”
iHLS: How to Track Small UAS in Urban Environments?
“The recent spate of drone assaults has shown the need for persistent surveillance and tracking of small UAS in urban environments. The US government is a step closer to deploying a new system for tracking small drones flying over busy cities. A project initiated by DARPA (US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) launched two years ago – the Aerial Dragnet initiative – could begin testing in 2018, an agency official told thedailybeast.com. The initiative was designed to provide persistent, wide-area surveillance of all [drones] operating below 1,000 feet in a large city.”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Guess what an F16 pilot saw on a taxiway? It surely didn’t belong there
“A drone found earlier this month on a taxiway at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base has heightened concerns about the devices in secured areas. It was the second reported unmanned aircraft at or near the Fort Worth base since last summer. An F16 pilot reported seeing the drone on the morning of Jan. 6 and the device, which carried a camera, was found by airfield staff, according to base reports.”
U.S. News & World Report: West Virginia House Would Make Some Drone Use Criminal
“The West Virginia House on Thursday approved limits on drone use in the state with criminal penalties for adding weapons, harassing others, interfering with airplanes or taking photographs of people through the windows of their homes without permission. The bill, adopted 78-18, would establish a misdemeanor for operators of unmanned aircraft to knowingly view or take pictures or videos of people on private property where a reasonable expectation of privacy is violated. It also would be a low-level crime to intentionally harass someone or fly it with “wanton disregard” of others’ safety or property, in violation of a restraining order or in a way that interferes with police or emergency medical personnel.”
Al-Monitor: Egypt grounds unlicensed drones
“Egypt recently passed a law prohibiting the operation of a drone without a permit. Penalties range from one year in prison plus fines to capital punishment for using drones for acts of terrorism that result in death. Despite concerns over the expanded use of drones in Egypt and the strict controls imposed, Cairo is taking major steps in the development and manufacturing of such aircraft, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
Forbes: The Past, Present And Future Of Anti-Drone Tech
“Barely a week goes by without drone operators making news for the wrong reasons. Collisions with manned aircraft, unauthorized flights above sporting events and contraband deliveries into prisons litter the headlines. As the use cases for drones continue to expand exponentially for good actors and bad actors alike, we are starting to see the inevitable rise of a counter-drone industry — one that offers ways to identify and mitigate the threats posed by drones to protect sensitive infrastructure.”
The Economist: Why drones could pose a greater risk to aircraft than birds
“THE “Miracle on the Hudson”—the successful ditching of a US Airways jetliner into New York’s Hudson River in 2009 after it hit a flock of geese—taught frequent flyers two things. First, it really is possible to land an aircraft on water, just as is shown on seat-back safety cards. Second, and more worryingly, the incident showed how dangerous birds can be to aircraft, particularly when they get sucked into engines. The machines are supposed to be designed to withstand an impact by the feathered creatures. Using big guns, chickens have been fired at aircraft engines in safety tests since the 1950s. But what about drones?”
BBC: Drone pilot detained for flight over Newport v Spurs match
“One person has been detained by police after flying a drone over Newport County’s FA Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Gwent Police said the drone was flown over Rodney Parade, in Newport, during the first half of the match. The force then tweeted: “Anyone caught piloting a drone over Rodney Parade during the match…you could be prosecuted. “We have already detained one pilot. Please respect the occasion.”
The Star (Malaysia): Drones get dangerous
“DIY drones can be easily modified to carry payload or celltower jammers, and to make it worse, radar mistakes them for birds. The growing popularity of drones, especially DIY ones, could turn out to be a menace – not only are there people looking to weaponise drones, they can be used for spying and accidents can be caused by clueless owners.”