From AISC
Shaped Charge on a Drone (Newsletter subscribers only)
Counter-UAS News from Around the World
Flight Global: Marine Corps orders Switchblade drones from AeroVironment
Usage of AeroVironment’s explosive-tipped drone, the Switchblade, is growing as the US Marine Corps ordered its first of the missile-like weapon in April 2018. The Switchblade drone first deployed with the US military more than five years ago. The drone has a range of up to 10km (6.2 miles), carries a grenade-sized munition and is designed to be flown into enemy personnel via remote control. Orbital ATK provides warheads for the Switchblade.
UAS Vision: X-MADIS Mobile Anti-Drone in ‘Game of Drones’ Demo
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and its partners, Ascent Vision and RADA Technologies, will participate in the SOFWERX ThunderDrone Rapid Prototyping Event (RPE) III demonstration at Nellis Air Force Base next month. SNC and its partners will participate in the demo, also being called “Game of Drones,” using X-MADIS (eXpeditionary Mobile Aerial Defense Integrated System), which is a self-contained, fully mobile and integrated counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capability. The C-UAS, radar and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) equipment is integrated into a commercial off-road vehicle that can detect, locate, identify, track, exploit and defeat an enemy UAS (also known as drone) to protect airports, no-fly zones and other high-value infrastructure.
Bloomberg: Drones May Need License Plates Soon
That small drone you got for Christmas may soon need a license plate of sorts. U.S. aviation regulators said they intend to require for the first time that drone owners place a government-assigned ID number on the outside of the devices, according to a little-noticed filing earlier this month. Current rules require drone owners to register with the Federal Aviation Administration and more than 1 million people have done so. They must identify their drones, but the marker can be placed inside battery compartments or other internal areas where it can’t been readily seen. The FAA’s move is the latest step taken by the agency and U.S. security agencies to bring greater control over the new frontier in flight that has been plagued by rule violations, a handful of collisions with other aircraft and growing concerns about their potential use by terrorists.
AZO Robotics: Testing Counter-UAS Systems in Urban Settings
Developing and providing counter-UAS (C-UAS) capability technical upgrades for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operating components with high priority requirements has been the mission of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) since 2016. S&T guides, advises, and offers technical know-how to all components and Homeland Security Enterprise partners on the steps they can implement, and the available technology they can lawfully apply to counter malicious or unwanted drones.
Airport Technology: DroneShield obtains products certification to protect US airports
UAV detection and interception systems manufacturer DroneShield has secured certification to use its range of drone-combating products at airports in the US. DroneShield stated that specialised radio-frequency testing laboratory 360°RF independently assessed its DroneSentinel and DroneCannon detection and jamming products. During the assessment, the products were found to be compatible with most commonly used communications and navigation systems across US airports.
The Drive: Seattle Man Crashed UAV Into Space Needle, Ordered to Forfeit Drone and Pay Fine
Criminal and irresponsible drone use is nothing new. We’ve seen unmanned aerial vehicles be used in a wide variety of lawbreaking ways, from iPhone smuggling to aircraft collisions, drug dealing scenarios and unwelcome wildlife disruptions. According to The Seattle Times reported 20-year-old, Cole Kelley crashed his DJI Inspire 1 drone into the Seattle’s Space Needle on New Year’s Eve 2016.
You Tube: Fortem DroneHunter™ Autonomous Net Capture of a DJI Phantom 3
You Tube: DroneHunter™ Stadium Footage
In Public Safety: How Gangs are Using Drones to Disrupt Law Enforcement
Gangs are continually adapting their skillsets to counter law enforcement efforts. For example, as outlined in my book, “The Gang Life Laugh Now Cry Later: Suppression and Prevention,” gangs have sent their members into the military to gain tactical skillsets. In other cases, gangs have coordinated with terrorist organizations and are acting as “sub-contractors” to groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. As gangs are finding new and better ways to disrupt community safety, they are getting alarmingly proficient at using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—also commonly referred to as drones—to support their criminal activity.
CTC Sentinel: “Trucks, Knives, Bombs, Whatever:” Exploring Pro-Islamic State Instructional Material on Telegram
Online supporters of the Islamic State use messaging and file-sharing platforms to communicate internally and share media releases, but also disseminate published operational instructions. A study of 98 pro-Islamic State Telegram channels containing instructional material collected between June and December 2017 finds that while officially produced Islamic State materials in English are relatively scarce, administrators of these channels are undiscerning about the ideological source of the instructional material that they distribute. Thus, they frequently utilize material from outside of the Islamic State’s narrow ideological literature base. Moreover, the use of Telegram as a dissemination platform fundamentally changed the form and content of pro-Islamic State English-language instructional material by broadening the scope of available media (photos, images, videos, audio, etc.). While materials that direct followers toward committing attacks remain a great concern for counterterrorism agencies, dissemination of instructions on cybersecurity and operational security may be equally dangerous.
The Sumter Item: South Carolina will use drones to watch inmates
After spending years fighting to keep drones from flying over prisons, South Carolina corrections officials unveiled plans on Thursday to use the small unmanned aircraft to keep a remote eye on inmates, an effort they said is the first of its kind in the country. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling showed reporters new drones that can be used to monitor a prison and the area outside, where contraband such as cellphones and drugs can be launched over walls. The agency has hired two pilots, both military veterans, who will travel among the state’s 21 prisons and monitor them from 400 feet in the air using remote controls and video screens. It’s something Stirling said the state Corrections Department has already been doing for several months, at little additional cost to the cash-strapped agency. And, according to Stirling, South Carolina is the first state in the nation to use drones like this, with the director saying that officials with the Association of State Correctional Administrators have told him they weren’t aware of it happening in other places.
UK Daily Mail: Two F-15 fighter jets travelling at 520mph narrowly avoided terrifying midair crash over Devon with a police drone
A police drone operator was forced to steer the device away from the path of an F-15 fighter jet travelling at nearly 520mph, a report has revealed. The Devon and Cornwall officer was convinced there would be a collision as the military jet came into view and then banked right above Throwleigh, Devon, on January 16. The Airprox board, which looks into near-misses, reported the 13lbs device was flying at an altitude of around 300ft when the pilot heard a fast jet approaching. ‘He descended the drone as quickly as possible,’ the report said.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) information on the extent of unsafe use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system is limited. Although FAA collects data on several types of safety events involving small UAS, the accuracy and completeness of the data are questionable.
Defense Blog: Leonardo DRS offers Maneuver SHORAD for US Army
Italian firm Leonardo’s US subsidiary, Leonardo DRS is offering its variant of Maneuver Short Range Air Defence system for United States Army. Now Air and Missile Defence is one of the top modernization priorities of United States Army including the acquisition of a new SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) mobile system and Leonardo DRS is offering its vision.
UAS Vision: Leonardo, Telespazio and IDS to Develop Italian UTM
Leonardo has been selected by ENAV, the company that manages civilian air traffic in Italy, as its industrial partner for the development of an air traffic control system for unmanned aircraft and for the provision of related services. Leonardo will lead the industrial team that includes subsidiary Telespazio and IDS – Ingegneria Dei Sistemi.
JD Supra: Preventing Emerging Threats Act Introduced
Last week, a group of U.S. Senators introduced the “Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018” which would give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) the ability to take action against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) that pose an “unacceptable security risk” to public safety. Specifically, DHS and DOJ personnel would be permitted to take action against drones for the “safety, security or protection” of a “covered facility or asset.” “Covered facility or asset,” according to the bill, refers to operations near the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection; DOJ operations; Federal Bureau of Prisons; National Special Security Events; federal law enforcement investigations; and other mass gatherings. Additionally, the bill allows the DOJ and DHS to “detect, identify, monitor and track [drones] without prior consent, including by means of intercept or other access of a wire communication, an oral communication or an electronic communication used to control the [drone].”
Defense Connect: MESMER selected for final round of US Special Ops counter-drone competition
Following successful trials, Department 13’s (D13) counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capability, MESMER, has been selected to participate in the final round of ThunderDrone II at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada
Defense News: Sierra Nevada has a counter-drone system that works on the move
The counter-drone solution set is already crowded, but a Sierra Nevada-led team is seeking to set itself apart with a system that can work on the move. Sierra Nevada brought its X-MADIS mobile drone defeat system mounted on a Chevy Colorado pickup truck to the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference this week, stirring up interest within the special operations community.
Gulf Business: Saudi destroys Houthi UAV near airport
Saudi air defences destroyed a Houthi drone headed to Abha International Airport, the Saudi coalition said on Saturday. The unmanned aerial vehicle was spotted at 1:45pm by the unit assigned to the airport, which “dealt with the threat and destroyed it”, according to a statement to Saudi Press Agency. Coalition spokesperson colonel Turki al-Malki said an inspection of the wreckage found that it was an Iranian Ababil drone that was attempting to attack the airport. He added that there was minimal damage caused by the drone’s destruction and no injuries. “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition, through continuous thorough monitoring and surveillance, targeted the unit responsible of assembly and rigging the UAVs following their exit of one of their workshops in Sa’dah governorate,” al-Malki said. A number of other drone attacks have been detected previously, including one last month that targeted a facility belonging to Saudi Aramco in Jizan.
Times of Israel: IDF: Explosives-laden drone from Gaza discovered in Israel
The IDF announced Sunday that an explosives-laden drone flown over the border from the Gaza Strip was discovered in Israeli territory last week. The army said the drone was found in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, in the northern Negev, “several days ago,” and that it was flown over the border from Gaza with the intention to injure Israeli soldiers patrolling the area. The army said the drone was recovered whole, and an investigation into the incident had been opened.
Enel PR: Enel introduces innovative drone technologies at Civitavecchia power plant
Today, Enel inaugurated at its Torrevaldaliga Nord power plant an innovative system that uses drones to support the operation, maintenance and protection of the plant, through solutions developed by two Israeli start-ups, Convexum and Percepto. The start-up CONVEXUM has developed a system which can prevent unauthorised drones from flying over the plant.
YouTube: Drone following Military Train
One continuous shot of the SMFKB military train heading into San Luis Obispo, CA after training exercises at Camp Roberts on 3/20/18.
sUAS News: UTM Dreams Are Made of These – The 3 Major Problems of UTM
UTM isn’t a Sweet Dream for starters we need to solve these 3 problems now and the problems are decades old and should not be a piecemeal UTM. If I may borrow a quote from Patrick Egan “the current NASA UTM plan looks like a Winchester Mystery House with no real solutions or endgame plans.” It when carefully diagnosed under the careful eye of an ATC/NAS expert it is easy to see this has not been thought out very well. It seems that most people are building UTMs in their own ecosystem hoping that a VC will come in and fund their sweet dreams. This is also the dawn of the backyard UTM which is a mistake words like interoperability are used to convey knowledge when in fact the word is nothing more than a misleading distraction to cover up their unknowns that many in the manned ATC/NAS business have known about for years.
National Defense: Pentagon Exploring Counter-UAS Software
Dedrone, an airspace security company, is working on technology that can detect adversarial drones on military installations. Dedrone’s software, called DroneTracker, can be integrated with radio frequency sensors, cameras and microphones, according to the company. The software can then gather information and determine the flight path of the drone.
UAV Expert News: UK Drone Operators Face New Tests and Restrictions
According to BBC, UK drone users may have to pass online safety tests under legislation being introduced to the Commons on Wednesday. Restrictions around airport boundaries have also been clarified stopping any drone flying within 1km of them. The changes, which are set to come into effect between July 2018 and November 2019, follow a rise in the number of drone near-misses with aircrafts. Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said the measures were needed to “protect” aircraft and their passengers.
Defense Blog: Belarus developed drone kit for anti-tank rocket launcher
At the Losvido training ground, was conducted meeting with officers-operators of the Armed Forces under the leadership of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – Chief of the Main Operations Directorate Major-General Pavel Muraveiko. At the time of the event was spotted the unique unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the anti-tank rocket launcher equipped with four engine as that of a conventional quadcopter. The characteristics of the new flying anti-tank rocket launcher and the name of the manufacturer are not disclosed.