Counter-UAS News from Around the World
Bloomberg: Drone’s Close Encounter With Jet Spurs Call to Tighten Laws
“A video from a drone that flew within feet of an airliner over Las Vegas and prompted outrage on the internet has spurred three influential U.S. aviation lobbies to call for tighter regulations on hobby drones.”
KPVI/NBC 6: Idaho Technology Company Black Sage Plans Drone Defense Demonstration at Idaho State Capitol
“Boise, Idaho based Black Sage will demonstrate drone defense on the State Capitol in Boise, Idaho at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 21, with the company’s state-of-the-art counter unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) technology. The demonstration will be the first of its kind.”
“ISIS jihadi fighters returning to the UK from the Middle East battlefield ‘can turn drones sold on Amazon into killing machines’, experts claim. It’s feared that terrorists who have improved their bomb-making techniques during the conflict in Syria and Iraq may now be able to turn a range of products bought on the high street into deadly weapons, they claim. ISIS have increasingly used commercial drones in the Syrian war in what analysts believe marks a turning point in their tactics. And experts now warn that the technology may also be used against targets – and civilians – in Europe.”
sUAS News: DroneShield Assigned a NATO Stock Number for DroneGun
“DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its DroneGun MKII product has been assigned a NATO Stock Number (NSN) 5865-66-164-5197.”
Drone Life: FAA Acting Deputy Administrator Says Drone ID Rules are Coming This Year
“FAA Acting Deputy Administrator Carl Burleson told attendees of the Singapore Airshow that regulations to track and identify drones would be coming this year. CNBC reports that while participating in a panel discussion, Burleson said the FAA was primarily concerned with increasing security.”
Janes 360: US Army requests expeditionary and mobile systems to counter ‘low, slow, and small’ UASs
“Two separate requests for information (RFIs) related to the requirement were posted on the same day for the rapid development, deployment, and support of the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small UAS Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS), and for the Expeditionary (E-LIDS) system.”
Drone DJ: FAA investigates drone collision with Kauai tour helicopter
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources have started an investigation into a report that a drone struck a Kauai tour helicopter. The collision apparently happened last Friday around 1:45pm when the aircraft of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters flew over the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park near Nualolo Kai.”
Yeni Safak News: PKK/PYD drone shot down over Syria’s Afrin
“A drone that belonged to terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Syrian offshoot, the PYD, was shot down over Syria’s Afrin, in the context of the ongoing Operation Olive Branch.”
UAS Vision: Disposable Delivery Drone for Humanitarian Needs
“Plastic foam, plywood and some other plastic parts could make the difference between life and death. These are the materials that make up a delivery drone created by DASH Systems. The California company also describes its lightweight aircraft as an unmanned aerial vehicle or glider.”
Ed. Note: 20 kg of food, 20 kg of explosives…
UAS Vision: Fortem Announces DroneHunter Counter UAS Solution Using AI-Enabled Radar Technology
“Fortem Technologies, Inc., has announced the release of DroneHunter, the first military-tested unmanned aircraft that provides perimeter intrusion detection and protection by autonomously patrolling an airspace and towing away any rogue drones from the sky. Using AI algorithms, the DroneHunter system provides detection, monitoring and capture of rogue drones over restricted airspace or no-fly zones. Once a rogue drone is detected and captured, DroneHunter can tether and return, or safely discard to a predefined safe zone.”
WCSC News: Charleston helicopter crash blamed on drone; FAA investigating
“Federal authorities are investigating a helicopter crash that happened Wednesday near the southern tip of Daniel Island. A Robinson R22 helicopter struck a tree and crash-landed Wednesday afternoon, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kathleen Bergen. Charleston Police met with the two passengers of the crash later that afternoon, according to an incident report. The instructor told police he is a private helicopter instructor and was giving a lesson to a student pilot at approximately 3:30 p.m. While the student was practicing “low impact and hover taxi maneuvers” above undeveloped land on Daniel Island, they turned and saw a white “DJI Phantom quad-copter” drone headed into their airspace, the report states.”
Star Tribune: Minnesota prosecutors charge three men with conspiring to export goods to Hezbollah terrorists
“Federal prosecutors in Minnesota announced charges Friday against three men accused of conspiring to illegally export drone aircraft technology to a terrorist organization in Lebanon. An indictment unsealed Friday detailed a complex international scheme through which the men sourced drone materials from businesses around the world — including digital compasses made by Honeywell in Minnesota — for members of the Hezbollah terrorist group.”
The Drive: Illegal Drone Use Over New York City is Steeply Rising
“When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to establish the state’s first drone-testing corridor, this is probably not what he had in mind. New York City has seen an increase in illegal drone use of 68 percent from the first three quarters of 2016 compared with the same period in 2017.”
Army Recognition: Israel: Tikad armed drone with assault rifle to perform anti-terrorist operations
“Israel has developed the TIKAD, an armed drone fitted with an assault rifle which can be used to perform anti-terrorist operations. This new armed drone was developed by the Company Duke Robotics, specialized in the development of aerial robotic system for modern asymmetrical warfare.”
Citizen Tribune: Groups target pigeon shoot, file complaint alleging drones shot down
“The value of the three drones is estimated at $2,400. The incident was documented as a claim of malicious injury to personal property with a value of greater than $2,000 but less than $10,000, according to the incident report. There have been no charges in the case. “Investigators confirmed that the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) pilot and team members were acting within the confines of all applicable federal, state, and local laws,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. “However, responding Deputies were unable to identify any of the persons that fired shots. No law enforcement actually observed any UAS being shot.” “While shooting at any aircraft, manned or unmanned, is a violation of federal law, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office lacks the jurisdiction to prosecute,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.”
Dedrone & Verizon: Disaster Response & Drone Airspace Security (PDF Download)
“In the event of a catastrophe, high-risk infrastructures have significant resources in place to continue and protect their operations, relying on emergency power systems and backup connectivity measures. Updating these technologies and protocols relies on an understanding of the threats from every direction, including the airspace. Commercial and consumer drones in the hands of amateur and hobby pilots, as well as those with malicious intention, are forcing security managers to face the threat of rogue and unauthorized drones, which can interrupt activity or cause catastrophic injury.”
The News & Observer: You may be able to fly your drones in most Raleigh city parks after all
“Owners of small drones would be able to fly them in most Raleigh parks under a revised policy being considered by a city advisory committee. Last summer, the initial draft of the policy called for limiting the use of drones to only seven parks with large open spaces, among other restrictions. It marked the first time Raleigh had moved to set limits on an increasingly popular hobby on city property.”
Fox News: 2 Americans, 2 Ukrainians arrested in Serbia over drone
“Two U.S. and two Ukrainian citizens have been arrested in Serbia for trying to photograph the military security headquarters in downtown Belgrade with a drone.”
Mac Rumors: New Footage Captures Drone Crash Over Apple Park
“It’s been well over two years since monthly drone updates have been shared online covering the construction progress of Apple’s second campus in California, called Apple Park. Over the weekend, drone videographer Matthew Roberts posted his latest video on YouTube, but instead of covering the newest updates to the campus, the video captured a drone that malfunctioned and crashed over Apple Park.”