Just as drone technology advances, the technology designed to disrupt or shoot down drones is also advancing, especially in relation to tackling drones that are designed for military purposes.
The last twelve months have seen a growing number of security breaches by unidentified drones plus the potential for drone related terrorism and the use of drones for illicit activities (the latter includes the use of drones for border trespassing, smuggling, and spying). Drones are also increasingly being used for military operations.
Perhaps the most well-publicized case of unidentified drones were the sightings that led to a suspension of flights at the U.K. airport Gatwick. Between 19 and 21 December 2018, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport, following 67 reports of drone sightings close to the runway.
These incidents make the case of anti-drone technology. An example is the DroneGun, developed by Australian company DroneShield. This is a bazooka-style creation which functions by jamming the signal between drone and drone pilot, thereby grounding unwanted aerial vehicles.
A second example is called ATHENA (an acronym for Advanced Test High Energy Asset). This is a 30-kilowatt laser weapon being tested by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
A third example is a craft that can capture drones mid-air. This comes from Delft Dynamics, based in The Netherlands, and it is called the DroneCatcher. This device is capable of locking onto enemy drones in the air and then catching it in a net from up to 20 meters away. The video below shows the device in action:
Based on research undertaken by analysts Markets and Markets (“Anti-Drone Market by Technology (Laser, Kinetic, and Electronics), Application (Detection, Detection & Disruption), Vertical (Military & Defense, Homeland Security, and Commercial), and Geography – Global Forecast to 2024”), the anti-drone market is expected to be valued at $2,276 million by 2024. The current global market value is $499 million. The growth equates to an annual growth rate of 28.8 percent.
The fastest growing anti-drone technologies are those based on laser system. This is because, Smart2Zero reports, these technologies offer speed, significant flexibility, high precision, and low cost per shot. Companies working on such technology, for military purposes, are Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Rheinmetall Defense Electronics GmbH, and Raytheon.
Houthi terrorists carried out a drone attack on a high-profile military parade at a Yemeni air base, claiming the lives of at least seven soldiers with 11 others wounded. Amongst those killed in the strike was Intelligence Brigadier General Saleh Tamah. In comparison, an ISIS swarm drone attack against a Russian airbase in Syria last year was successfully deterred with the help of an advanced anti-drone system.
The civil war in Yemen has the Iran-backed Houthis pitted against a Saudi-backed coalition trying to wrest the country from the militia. Iran has supplied the Houthis along with Hezbollah and Hamas with advanced drones based on American and Israeli models.
Anti-drone system not in place
The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi anti-ballistic missile systems with “kamikaze drones” and launched drone attacks against coalition troops. They have also targeted civilian Saudi targets as well as oil refineries. The two main players in the anti-Houthi coalition, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have suffered serious losses at the hands of Houthi drone attacks. The Iranian-backed militants, for their part, have invested heavily in advanced drone technology providing them a type of “homemade air force.”
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As a part of the AVNON Group, we are a leading provider of turnkey solutions in the defense and HLS arenas, has developed an anti-drone system that can be deployed in sensitive locations such as military bases and airports. With terrorists increasingly looking to affordable, easy-to-use drones as a means of staging large-scale attacks, governments around the world need to stay a step ahead by developing new anti-drone technology. At SKYLOCK, we’re doing just that.
Our innovative solution offers a multi-layered anti-drone shield. This is crucial for guaranteeing the security of critical infrastructure since advanced drones can fire missiles from a distance of up to 5km. Preventing enemy drones from getting within even a longer vicinity of key facilities is of the utmost necessity and SKYLOCK is one of the few anti-drone firms that offer this capability.
In the off-chance that an enemy drone does penetrate this outer layer, SKYLCOCK offers a Passive Detection system which doesn’t interfere with the airport’s signals and preventing costly flight delays.
The shutdowns of the UK’s two biggest airports over the past month alone have proven the necessity for an inclusive anti-drone system. SKYLOCK offers HLS agencies, police, and Special Forces units the means to protect critical national security assets.
A drone attack on a Yemeni government base by the rebel Houthi movement has reportedly killed six soldiers.
The drone exploded above a podium at al-Anad base, in the southern province of Lahj, where high-ranking officers and officials were watching a parade.
Medics said army deputy chief of staff Gen Saleh al-Zindani and Lahj governor Ahmed al-Turki were among those hurt.
A Houthi-run TV channel said the rebels had targeted personnel from the Saudi-led coalition backing the government.
The attack threatens to derail UN peace efforts, which last month saw both sides agree to a ceasefire around the lifeline Red Sea port of Hudaydah, which is crucial to the delivery of aid supplies.
Video footage of the incident showed the drone approaching the parade ground rapidly and at low altitude before exploding above the covered VIP podium.
Medics at the Ibn Khaldoun hospital in the nearby city of Houta told AFP news agency that six soldiers were killed and 12 people were injured in the attack.
They said the wounded include Gen Zindani, Mr Turki, intelligence chief Brig-Gen Mohammed Saleh Tamah, and senior army commander Fadel Hasan.
Chief of staff Gen Abdullah al-Nakhi was also at the base when the drone struck, but there are conflicting reports about whether he was hurt.
It was not immediately clear if any coalition military officials were present.
Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionMedics said the army’s deputy chief of staff and the governor of Lahj province were wounded
Later, Houthi military spokesman Gen Yehia Sari announced that a new kind of drone had been used.
The Qasef-2K, he added, was designed to blow up about 20m (65ft) off the ground, sending shrapnel towards a target.
Saudi-owned TV channels described the drone as “Iranian made”.
Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani tweeted that “the crime of targeting the base will not go unanswered”.
The attack, he added, showed the Houthis did “not believe in the language of peace” and “only understand the language of weapons”.
Image copyrightAFP Image captionSaudi-owned TV channels described the drone as Iranian made, without offering evidence
The attack comes a day after the UN special envoy to Yemen said the warring parties had largely stuck to the ceasefire around Hudaydah.
However, Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council that “substantial progress” was needed before further talks could be held on ending the war.
Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad.
Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government.
At least 6,800 civilians have been killed and 10,700 injured in the fighting, according to the UN. Thousands more civilians have died from preventable causes, including malnutrition, disease and poor health.
Government commits to review laws on use of drones around airports after Tuesday sighting caused one-hour halt
Police hunting those behind a drone flight at Heathrow are investigating whether it was carried out by the same person or group that caused chaos at Gatwick in the run-up to Christmas or if it was a copycat crime.
The sighting of the drone just after 5pm on Tuesday caused Heathrow managers to order an emergency one-hour halt of flights taking off.
The drone’s short incursion around the north runway was witnessed by police officers, giving police chiefs confidence that it was real and not the result of a mistaken sighting.
The device was larger than that seen at Gatwick just before Christmas. After the drone disappeared, measures and equipment stationed at Heathrow were activated which airport bosses hope will neutralise any threat to passenger planes.
Officials trying to deter the drones will not know for sure how well the mitigation measures work until they have to deal with another drone sighting, but have studied what worked and did not work at Gatwick.
The police also appealed to the public for information about the operator of the drone.
On Wednesday the government underlined its commitment to toughen laws on the use of drones around airports after the military had to be deployed at Heathrow following the drone sighting.
The de facto deputy prime minister, David Lidington, said ministers were reviewing the legislation after the Heathrow incident raised fears of a repeat of the chaos witnessed at Gatwick before Christmas, when drone sightings caused flights to be suspended for days.
Asked about the Heathrow incident on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Lidington said: “Clearly, the government is looking at the law to see whether there are ways in which it could be strengthened.
He added: “What I think the airports themselves have to do is step up and do more of is investment in technology to both detect and then stop drones from flying.”
The Department for Transport confirmed that the aviation minister, Liz Sugg, and the security minister, Ben Wallace, are due to meet the heads of UK airports on Thursday to discuss resilience against drone attacks.
A spokeswoman said: “The government will continue to work closely with a range of stakeholders from industry to explore technical solutions and improve security measures.”
Heathrow said flights were operating as normal on Wednesday morning
. Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan police said: “Military assistance has been implemented to support us. However, we will not be discussing in any further detail the range of tactics available to us as this would only serve to potentially undermine their effectiveness.”
He added: “Police officers were amongst those who saw the drone and a full criminal investigation has been launched. We are carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone.”
The British Airline Pilots’ Association said the incidents at Gatwick and Heathrow demonstrated the need for tougher regulations.
Rob Hunter, its head of flight safety, said: “The costs of these incidents is going to add to the incentive to take this hazard much more seriously.” Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, he said: “The segregation of drones and commercial airliners needs to be better ensured.
“The rules are not pretty strict; they are pretty lax, actually. Currently a drone can operate within 1km of an airfield boundary and that could actually mean that the drone is above approaching aircraft and departing aircraft.
“That 1km boundary needs to be extended right out to 5km. The government announced that they intend to do that, so I think the Gatwick incident has helped.”
He added: “The frustration is that what we have seen is an expansion of this technology, but what hasn’t kept pace is managing the hazard of it.”
On Tuesday, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, announced measures to give police extra powers to combat drones, including extending a drone exclusion zone around airports.
Police will be given new powers to tackle the illegal use of drones, the government has announced.
The area around airports where drones are banned from flying will also be extended, and from 30 November operators of drones between 250g and 20kg will need to be registered.
Labour said action on drones should have been taken years ago.
The plans follow a consultation into the use of drones which began in July.
The government said it would also expand technology to detect and repel drones from sites like airports and prisons, to prevent any repeat of events like those at Gatwick airport in December.
New legislation will give police additional powers to land drones and require users to produce the appropriate documentation.
They will also be able to search premises and seize drones – including the electronic data stored within the device – where a serious offence has been committed and a warrant is secured.
For minor drone offences, police will be able to issue fixed-penalty notices, with fines of up to £100 for offences such as failing to comply with an officer when instructed to land a drone or not showing the registration required to operate a drone.
Registered drone users will also need to take an online competency test.
Analysis
By Theo Leggett, business correspondent
Sometimes it’s important to be seen to be doing something. That may well be the case with the government’s plans to combat drone misuse.
It had been planning action for some time – and had already held a major consultation on its proposals. Then came the dramas at Gatwick before Christmas.
So would the new measures have made any difference in that situation? Probably not. Flying a drone close to an airport was already illegal, under legislation passed last year. The problem there was actually finding those responsible.
But drone misuse is now a hot topic, so announcing these measures now, and widening the exclusion zone around airports, may help draw off some of the political flak.
Meanwhile the Home Office will “begin to test and evaluate the safe use of a range of counter-drone technology in the UK”.
That may well be the wisest way forward. But critics are likely to ask why such testing wasn’t already under way.
After all, the threat was a known one, and it seems the Army at least had access to that kind of technology.
Speaking in the Commons, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the disruption caused at Gatwick was “deliberate, irresponsible and calculated, as well as illegal” and any restriction zone around the airport would not have prevented an incident of this type.
He said the problems at Gatwick were solved by “smart and innovative use of new technology”, but declined to reveal what this was for “security reasons”.
He added that the Ministry of Defence remained “on standby” to deal with any further problems caused by drones at airports.
The exclusion zone will now be extended to the current Air Traffic Zone around airports, which is approximately a 5km (3.1 miles) radius, with additional extensions from runway ends.
Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of up to five years.
BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said the extension of exclusion zones around airports was likely to be welcomed by the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), which has lobbied for tougher rules.
The number of aircraft incidents involving drones has grown dramatically in the past few years. In 2013 there were zero incidents, compared with more than 100 last year.
Labour’s shadow transport minister Andy McDonald said while the measures were welcome, they should have been introduced sooner.
“Labour has repeatedly warned Department for Transport ministers over the last several years that they needed to take action on drones yet nowhere near enough has been done,” he said.
He added that the failure to bring forward detailed plans on drones had “disastrous consequences” and it was “astonishing” the government had no procedures in place to deal with events like those at Gatwick airport.
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TactiScan utilizes NIR (Near Infrared) spectroscopy in narcotics detection. NIR spectroscopy is a widely used technology in laboratories, and TactiScan’s developer, Spectral Engines, has been able to miniaturize this technology and make it affordable to wider audiences. A major benefit of NIR spectroscopy, is that it is non-destructive and it doesn’t need any sample preparation. NIR spectroscopy uses normal light to illuminate the sample and then measures the infrared spectrum that is reflected from the sample. The light is not harmful for the human eye and does not alter the sample in any way, as no high intensity light or electromagnetic radiation is not used.
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Presumptive chemical field tests have been standard practice for decades at police departments across the country. The field test kits which have been used for decades, require handling of a suspected substance, which presents an exposure hazard for the officer, as well as the risk of damaging evidence needed for prosecution. Some agencies have even changed their policies, to altogether prohibit field testing of suspected narcotics in an effort to protect officers and also due to the accuracy issues of many test kits.
The cost of the presumptive field test kits adds up over time, as various test kits are typically sold ranging 30 – 35 $ in price for a box containing of ten tests. Even though the average cost is only $3/test, often a minimum of two color tests are required for results, the overall cost would end up at $30,000 per year for a police department. Police are instead sending suspected drugs to crime laboratories, which have quickly become over-burdened, delaying many cases. Contracting a third-party lab testing, may add up significant additional costs to police departments.
In the past few years, technologies typically used in only laboratory settings have been adapted for use in the field, namely mass spectrometers and Raman spectrometers to name a few, offering a level of analysis far beyond that of traditional color-based testing. These are highly accurate devices, but they come with a price of tens of thousands of dollars. This cost may be too high for many police departments to adopt this technology to field use.
The TactiScan can offer a better option for presumptive narcotics testing on the field for police departments. It enables a safe on field testing without officer exposure with non-destructive and non-contact sampling of the suspected drug.
TactiScan is an easy-to-use handheld narcotics detector, that can rapidly identify low concentrations of cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine, through transparent containers or bags in less than 10 seconds.
The results are shown on mobile phone app (iOS/Android). A large benefit over the color tests is the chain of custody corroboration, in that when a sample is tested. The results are automatically stored and time-stamped in the Cloud, which ensures traceability of the test result(s), and it enables the results to be exported and attached to the case report, or traced backwards and reviewed later when needed.
TactiScan offer unlimited testing per device on monthly fee. The acquisition does not require capital investment as a low monthly fee is usually covered in operational budget. The ease of use and portability makes it possible to be deployed to wider use, even as a personal device, and compared to other high-tech devices it can assist officers in doing a better and safer job in taking drugs off the street and reducing drug related crimes.
References:
Dory Lieblei, Meghann E. McMahon, Pauline E. Leary, Peter Massey, Brooke W. Kammrath (2018)
Spectroscopy Volume 33, Issue 12.
Flynn, M., Harris County DA Stops Prosecuting Drug Cases Involving Minuscule Amounts. Houston Press. September 2017.
Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. Landscape Study of Field Portable Devices for Chemical and Presumptive Drug Testing. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences (2018).
Lane Harper, Jeff Powell & Em M. Pijl (2017) An overview of forensic drug testing methods and their suitability for harm reduction point-of-care services. Harm Reduction Journal Volume 14, Article number: 52.
Pohl, J. Fentanyl fears force policy change, testing backlog within Arizona DPS. AZCentral, September 2017.
Use of Field Tests Comes into Question. NES, Inc. March 22, 2017; Available from: https://www.nesglobal.net/use-of-field-tests-comes-into-question/.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) is widely used for military operations. Competing demands for the radio spectrum means it’s strictly coordinated and controlled. Battlespace spectrum management is the planning, coordination and management of EMS to allow military systems to perform their functions without causing or suffering from harmful interference. ATDI’s flagship EW planning tool, HTZ Warfare, specialises in electromagnetic deconfliction.
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