Counter-UAS News from Around the World
The Times of Israel: In first, Israel uses drones to drop tear gas on Gaza protesters — report
“Israel used an unmanned aerial vehicle to drop tear gas on Palestinian rioters along the Gaza security fence on Friday, according to a Lebanese media outlet, in what would be the first reported use of a drone for this purpose.”
Tech Crunch: Airspace Systems raises $20 million Series A to take down dangerous drones with other drones
“There’s more than one way to get a drone out of the sky. While many companies are looking to tech that digitally jam signals to land rogue drones, one startup is taking a more theatrical approach with a speedy drone that races at 2-3 times the speed of the fastest consumer options and takes down enemy drones that may not pop up on competitor’s systems.”
Commercial UAV News: What do You Need to Know About Anti-Drone and Counter Drone Technology?
“One of the reasons counter drone/anti-drone technology has become such a big issue in 2018 relates to scenarios where drones could be used to threaten the privacy of people, protected places, large events or critical infrastructure. With that being the case, what does it mean to enable a sense of security when it comes to drone technology? What kinds of options are available to organizations that want to get a better sense of the threats that are in their airspace and in turn take action around them?”
UAS Magazine: Early 2018 brings rush of counter-UAS activity
“The advent and understanding of counter-UAV systems is catching up to the country’s adoption and usage rates of drones in the commercial space.”
The Slovak Speculator: Tourists ignore bans in the Tatras, including drones and balloons
“A monitoring operation aimed at checking on how the law on natural protection is respected in the Western and High Tatras was conducted by the Patrol Service Department of the Tatra National Park (TANAP) administration on Sunday, March 11. Guardians of wildlife focused on walking outside the valid hiking routes, finding dozens of violations. The stress was put on sites where visitors have limited movement and where Mountain Rescue Service nevertheless to come often, head of the TANAP administration, Pavol Majko, told the TASR newswire.”
Lebanon Daily Star: Army says special permit needed to fly drones
“The Lebanese Army Wednesday warned owners of drones that a special permit is required to fly such aircraft in Lebanon, and that particular care should be taken to avoid airspace above Army bases and conflict-sensitive areas. The permit to operate “all kinds of remote-controlled aircraft” must be issued by the Army, the statement said, citing the potential for physical harm and national security implications of unregulated drone use. In case of any violations, the Army warned that it would shoot the devices down and take legal action against their operators.”
You Tube: Stinger vs. Drone
“A demonstration of the Stinger on Stryker short range air defense system at White Sands Missile Range.”
Defense Web: Israel gets ready to counter UAV swarm attacks
“In recent years, UAVs have been used by terror organizations in Lebanon and the Gaza strip to penetrate Israeli airspace. All these attempts were encountered by air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons systems. But now a new threat is emerging fast – attacks by swarms of armed UAVs. The threat was exposed in January, when the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces in Syria were attacked by a swarm of home-made UAVs – the first time such a coordinated assault has been reported in a military action.”
PR Newswire: Fortem Technologies Raises $15M Series A To Advance Airspace Safety And Security
“Fortem Technologies, Inc., an innovator in airspace awareness and intelligence, announced today that they have closed a $15 million Series A funding round led by DCVC (Data Collective) with key participation from Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, and Mubadala Investment Company, as well as Manifest Growth, New Ground Ventures and founding investor, Signia Venture Partners.”
The Telegraph: Drone near-misses triple in two years
“Drone near-misses with planes have more than tripled in two years, new figures show. Some 92 incidents were recorded in 2017, according to analysis of UK Airprox Board (UKAB) data. This is compared with 71 during the previous 12 months and 29 in 2015.”
sUAS News: Russian Billionaire Attempts to Take US Businessman’s Drone
“One thing that truly makes a trip to the Caribbean unforgettable? Getting your drone shot down by Russians with an anti-drone cannon. On Thursday, Droneworks Studios, a US drone company, released a YouTube video in which co-founder Justin Oakes tells the bizarre story of when a Russian billionaire tried to take his drone mid-flight. The incident happened in December while Justin and Elaine, his co-founder and wife, were on vacation.”
Fstoppers: A Small Hobby Drone Reaches 33,000 Feet
“A Russian drone pilot managed to fly his little 2.3 lbs drone close to the cruising altitude of most airliners. As surprising as it sounds, the technology used for this flight is very common. There is nothing exceptional about the parts used on this drone. All of them can be found at hobby stores and this setup is completely classic. According to the video description, pilot Denis Koryakin used a small drone racing frame equipped for high altitude flight. The powertrain consists of longer than usual propellers (seven inches) mounted on low-speed motors to give enough efficiency and lift at high altitude where the air is thinner. The small aircraft was also loaded with a battery (4S with three packs in parallel) in order to give enough autonomy to reach 33,000 feet. The total duration of the flight was 26 minutes.”
Market Watch: FAA expects huge increase in commercial drones in next 5 years
“U.S. regulators expect the number of commercial drones and people flying them to quadruple over the next five years, the latest positive indicator for the burgeoning industry. Updated FAA numbers released last week project about 450,000 such unmanned aerial vehicles will be operating in domestic airspace by 2022, versus today’s roughly 110,000. That increase is anticipated even if federal restrictions are loosened more slowly than growth advocates desire. The agency also sees the ranks of commercial-drone pilots climbing past 300,000 over the same period, up from roughly 70,000 currently. Under what the FAA considers the most likely scenario, both the number of commercial drones and their pilots are anticipated to substantially exceed totals for private aviators and associated manned aircraft.”
Stuff (NZ): Drone flying around Auckland airport delays and diverts 20 flights
“A drone being flown near Auckland airport forced about 20 approaching flights to delay their landings, with one choosing to divert to another airport altogether. Airways New Zealand said the pilot of a Q300 aircraft approaching Auckland airport alerted air traffic control to the presence of the drone at 11:45am on Tuesday. Air traffic controllers reported the event to police and halted aircraft operations for 30 minutes. During this time, around 20 planes chose to hold in the air, circling the airport, until they received clearance to land.”
The Guardian: Man fined for flying drone at football matches and Buckingham Palace
“A drone enthusiast has been fined and banned from pursuing his hobby after he was convicted of flying remote control aircraft over and around Premier League football stadiums, parliament and Buckingham Palace. Nigel Wilson, a security guard from Nottingham, posted videos to YouTube showing views from heights of at least 100 metres of Premier League, Champions League and Championship football matches. It is the first time a person has been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service for using drones after a police-led operation.”