On June 13, 2017, just after 3 p.m., Oceanside firefighters and police were called to a brush fire on Douglas Drive. The flames were spreading fast, pushed by 15 mph winds, so crews requested water drops from their helicopter to help douse the flames. But just moments before the drop, the officer in charge had to call off that much-needed air support because two wayward civilian drones were spotted flying over the flames. Those drones posed a potentially deadly safety threat to the helicopter pilots.
CBS 8 Las Vegas: Company uses ground-based radar to locate rogue drones
A Utah-based company is in Las Vegas this week to demonstrate a better way of policing drones flying the friendly skies. The demonstration took place at ASIS International’s Global Security Exchange (GSX) conference. The counter-drone system is beginning to be used at several places around the country. Fortem Technologies has started deploying ‘DroneHunter,’ which uses ground-based radar to locate a threat. Then its own sensors pick up the rogue drone, as it prepares to engage the target.
Star Tribune: 2 held in Denmark suspected of buying drones for IS
Danish authorities arrested two people Wednesday under Denmark’s anti-terror laws on suspicion of buying drones bound for the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Copenhagen police and Denmark’s security service, known as PET, carried out the arrests Wednesday. Police said the suspects were believed to be part of a network
sUAS News: MyDefence receives funding to develop next-gen anti-drone technology
MyDefence is developing next-generation anti-drone technology, which among other things include closer integration into soldiers existing equipment, so they can mitigate the threat of drones more effectively. Innovation Fund Denmark invests 425,000 USD (362,000 EUR) in the project, which will secure that MyDefence can continue the further development of anti-drone technology.
Bloomberg: Drone Hobbyists Angered by Congress Ending the Aerial Wild West
The Wild West days of unregulated recreational drones may be nearing an end. A bill close to passage in Congress would repeal the current exemption for hobbyists from regulations and for the first time require them to take a test before flying. It also says such operators must fly no higher than 400 feet and stay clear of traditional aircraft. They may have to eventually install radio identification signals on the devices.
UAS Vision: New Customizable Drone Detection Radar Sensors from Ainstein
Ainstein, a supplier of intelligent radar sensing solutions, has announced two new products in its Ultra Long Range UAV radar series; the Ultra Long Range Airborne (ULAB-D1) and Ultra Long Range Ground-Based (ULGB-D1) radars, capable of precise detection more than 1,000 meters away.
New York Post: Cops search for drone spotted flying near Statue of Liberty
A drone was spotted flying near the Statue of Liberty — and then vanished before officials could ground the illegal craft. The unidentified craft was reported to be about 3,000 to 4,000 feet away from Liberty Island sometime between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. It was also flying close to a plane that was bound for LaGuardia Airport, authorities said.
UAV Expert News: FAA Targets UAS Violators for Enforcement
Pilots of unmanned aircraft (“drones”) who interfere with fighting wildfires, law enforcement efforts, or other first responders, such as medical flights, now are more likely to face serious civil penalties, even for first-time offenses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has provided guidance for agency personnel who handle possible drone violations to refer all cases involving interference with first responders to the FAA Chief Counsel’s office for possible enforcement action. In July 2016, Congress authorized the FAA to impose a civil penalty of not more than $20,000 for anyone who operates a drone and deliberately or recklessly interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response efforts.
UAS Vision: ANSI Standardization Roadmap for UAS Released
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has released for public review and comment a working draft of the Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Version 1.0) being developed by the Institute’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC).
Comment: This roadmap includes Counter-UAS as well
Channel News Asia: Dubai airport says operating as normal after Houthi drone attack report
Dubai International Airport said on Sunday it was operating as normal following a news report Yemen’s armed Houthi movement had launched a drone attack against the airport.
For mother-of-three Kim* a small barbecue in her backyard on New Year’s Eve was meant to be respite from months of harassment by her ex-husband. That was, until she saw the drone hovering above her head. “I heard fans, or air, and I looked up and I saw a drone right above my head,” she said. “It shot up really high and far away and flew to a parked car in one of the side streets.” The Western Sydney woman is confident it was the work of her ex-husband who had, that day, been trying to discover her whereabouts.
You Tube: The Battle Against Drones Smuggling Drugs Into Prison (HBO)
The drones come in the night. Flown from adjacent farmers’ fields, they fly high up over the floodlit yards of the prison, float momentarily to ensure they’ve not been spotted, and then descend, dropping illicit cargo in plastic bags attached by s-hook —meth, marijuana, tobacco, cell phones.
Over the Baltic Sea in a test zone controlled by Germany, European aerospace and defence giant Airbus has demonstrated the ability of a drone team to interact intelligently with a manned aircraft in what it described as an unprecedented swarm achievement for Europe.
Inside Unmanned Systems: FAA Seeks Comments on Fire-Starting Drone
Aviation regulators are asking for public comment on an exemption for a drone that would, while in flight, release ping pong-ball sized chemical spheres designed to burst into flame upon impact. Silver Wings Drone Services of Metairie, Louisiana wants to use such a drone to help limit the impact of wildfires and protect habitat by supporting planned, controlled burns to clear out underbrush. The firm plans to use a DJI Matrice 600 Variant fitted with an IGNIS Fire System, according to its waiver request. Upon command, the spheres will be injected with glycol, starting a chemical reaction that will generate flames after being dropped and upon landing on the ground. To operate the service Silver Wings will need an exemption from the requirement that unmanned aircraft not carry hazardous materials.