Counter-UAS News from Around the World
Tech Weez: Kenya Legalizes The Use of Drones Albeit Under Tough Regulations
“It might come as a sigh of relief to any drone enthusiast when they read that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has gazetted the proposed Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems 2017 thus rendering the use of drones in Kenya legal. However, what might not be clear is that these regulations may prove to be a bottleneck to anyone, especially individuals, who would want to operate drones in Kenya.”
sUAS News: High-power microwaves and lasers defeat multiple drones during US Army exercise
“Forty-five unmanned aerial vehicles and drones fell out of the sky during a U.S. Army exercise after Raytheon’s (NYSE: RTN) advanced high-power microwave and laser dune buggy engaged and destroyed them. These common threats were knocked down during a Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence. The event, known as MFIX, brought military and industry leaders together to demonstrate ways to bridge the Army’s capability gaps in long-range fires and maneuver short-range air defense. Raytheon’s high-power microwave system engaged multiple UAV swarms, downing 33 drones, two and three at a time.”
Unmanned Aerial Online: UAS Trespassing Bill Heads to Virginia Governor’s Desk
“A bill concerning trespassing via unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has been passed in the Virginia House and Senate and is now awaiting a signature from Gov. Ralph Northam, D-Va. H.B.638, introduced by Delegate Christopher E. Collins, R-House District 29, “prohibits any person, after being given actual notice to desist, from knowingly and intentionally causing any unmanned aircraft system to enter the property of another and come within 50 feet of a dwelling house with the specific intent to coerce, intimidate or harass any other person,” according to a summary of the bill. Violation is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor, which includes a sentence of up to 12 months in jail.”
Inside Defense: AFRL to experiment with lasers for counter UAS
“The Air Force Research Laboratory will launch its first experiment to use directed energy to defend bases against small, unmanned aerial systems in October, a service official said Wednesday. Bill Cooper, director of AFRL’s Hybrid Defense of Restricted Airspace (HyDRA) study, said at a March 21 Booz Allen Hamilton conference on laser weapons the Air Force will bring commercial systems to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for October’s experiment. Another experimentation round focused on subsystems will follow in June 2019, Cooper said. He noted the Air Force is preparing four experiments in the next three years to explore DE applications to counter UAS and cruise missiles and to improve precision strike capabilities.”
DroneDJ: Amazon, Boeing, GE and Google to develop private Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system
“During last week’s FAA Symposium in Baltimore, Amazon, Boeing, GE, and Google announced that they are ready to start working on the development of a private Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system for drones. Testing in conjunction with NASA is supposed to start in the next three months. The system will enable swarms of drones to fly a couple of hundred feet above the ground using cellular and web applications to avoid collisions and allow for remote tracking.”
The Jerusalem Post: IDF: IRON DOME ACTIVATED BY GUNFIRE IN GAZA, NO ROCKET THREAT TO ISRAEL
“No rocket barrage was launched towards Israel Sunday night following reports of at least a dozen rockets launched from the Gaza Strip after incoming rocket sirens were heard in several communities. “Everything is routine,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis said on a call with reporters. “All of the alarms were triggered by machine gun fire in Gaza. There were no rockets which fell inside Israeli territory.”
The Aviationist: Videos Show Malfunctioning Saudi Patriot Missile Fired To Intercept Houthi SRBM Hitting Capital City Riyadh Instead
“Saudi Patriot PAC-2 SAM battery in Riyadh fired MIM-104C Surface to Air Missiles at a Burkan 2-H SRBM (Short Range Ballistic Missile) in the night between Mar 25 and 26, 2018. The SRBM was reportedly intercepted by one of the SAMs (at least 7 according to journalist Babak Taghvaee were launched) but at least two of them failed: one hit a residential area (at the time of writing the number of casualties/fatalities is unknown), whereas another one exploded mid-air shortly after launch. Videos of the two malfunctioning MIM-104Cs are emerging on Twitter.”
The Courier Mail: Police take down suspect drone in Comm Games zone
“Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski revealed the bust at a media conference on the Gold Coast today. He said a drone flying a few hundred metres from a Games exclusion zone was detected by police on Sunday night. “We were able to take down that operator and refer the matter to CASE (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) for breaches committed by that person operating that unmanned aerial vehicle,” he said. Police are equipped with anti-drone guns which take control of the aircraft’s operating systems.”
NW News Network: Coast Guard Helicopter Has Near-Miss With Drone Over Port Angeles
“A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter came within 50 feet of colliding with a drone over Port Angeles, Washington, last weekend. The Coast Guard said an air crew was doing low altitude training exercises near Fairchild International Airport when it had to take evasive action. Lt. Cmdr. Brent Schmadeke said a near miss with a drone has not happened before in the two years he’s been at Air Station Port Angeles. “With the increasingly popularity of model aircraft and drones for personal use—taking pictures, recordings and what not—I can only see it happening more,” he said.”
Tampa Bay Times: Drones delivering contraband to prisons a budding problem
“A package of contraband covered in grass clippings that was dropped by a drone at a Panhandle prison is one of the most recent examples of inmates using advanced technology to smuggle illegal items behind prison walls. The News-Journal reports that authorities are investigating two confirmed drone drops at Florida prisons in the last 30 days. One of those drops was discovered at a Panhandle prison after correctional officers spotted the drone, which was delivering a cellphone and tobacco.”
The Press Republican (New York): Bill would ban drones near prisons
“The State Senate has passed a bill that would ban drone use within 1,000 feet of correctional facilities. The legislation, sponsored by State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie (R-Heuvelton), is designed to help reduce the amount of contraband entering prisons. “Inmates are finding new and more devious ways to find networks both in and out of prison to smuggle dangerous contraband, drugs, cellphones and potentially even guns and other weapons past security,” Ritchie said in a statement. She cited multiple instances of criminals using drones to sneak banned items into prisons, including one in which a drone was discovered at Auburn Correctional last year. Additionally, in Michigan and Maryland, drones have been used to deliver drugs and various other items to correctional facilities.”
NBC6 (Michigan): House bill would punish crimes committed by aerial drones
“Michigan’s House has passed a bill holding drone operators criminally liable for any mischief wreaked by the unmanned aerial vehicles. Lawmakers voted Thursday on a five-bill bundle of regulations that includes a provision calling for punishment of crimes committed via drones.”
Seven Days Vermont: Drone Flyovers Pose Problems for Southern Vermont Prison
“Vermont corrections officials say drones regularly fly over a state prison, usually at night, and it’s causing security concerns. The Department of Corrections has asked the legislature to pass a bill banning drone flights above Vermont’s prisons. “This has been an issue as of recently, particularly at Springfield at the Southern State Correctional Facility,” Deputy Corrections Commissioner Mike Touchette testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning. “We’ve had about a dozen drones fly over that facility in the last year.”
Rupprecht Law: Safeguarding America’s Skies Act of 2018 (H.R.5366)
“Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) introduced the Safeguarding America’s Skies Act on 3/21/2018. Congresswoman Hartzler explained in a press release, “Title 18 also prevents federal agencies from using tailored jamming or protocol manipulation to interdict drones because it is considered intruding on a ‘protected computer.’ The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 provided the Department of Defense with relief from Title 18 restrictions in order to protect certain military installations and assets. Unfortunately, federal agencies like the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security continue to have their hands tied preventing them from interdicting a drone that poses a reasonable threat, such as those carrying drugs across the border.”