Spoofing or protocol manipulation is a high-tech approach to counter drones. The
approach takes control of a targeted drone by hijacking the communication
link, essentially making the drone submit to a new master. Once the drone is under
the new controller, it can be directed to return to the takeoff point to assist in
identifying the operator or it can be directed to land in a specific location
where the threat can be assessed. If set up correctly the technology can be used
to create an invisible net around a secure location. The system can monitor
any drones that enter this net, identify what type of drone it is and take control
of it. It's a particularly effective approach because of the low chance of
collateral damage. Unlike technology that jams a controller
or GPS signal and can cause some drones to crash spoofing keeps the drone in
control.
Companies such as Department 13, Citadel, Dronefence and
Lockheed Martin have developed spoofing technology.
If the drone is within range a net can be an effective counter. Nets for drones
are designed to entangle the targeted drone and/or its rotors. There's a wide
variety of delivery methods. Nets can be carried from larger drones, such
as the approach taken by Japanese police, shot from other drones such as a Delft
Dynamics approach or shot from the shoulder mountain net launcher. Many of
the nets have built-in parachutes designed to safely lower the captured
drone to the ground. The Skywall 100 is one of the more impressive net based
approaches. It is a 22 pound shoulder mounted net launcher it uses compressed
gas to fire a net carrying canister at drones up to 110 yards away. Think
t-shirt cannon but with a net rather than a t-shirt. It also uses a smart
scope to automatically calculate the drones distance and movements and then
computes exact moment to fire and alerts the operator.
Once the net has captured the drone it deploys a small parachute to bring the
targeted drone down safely. It has an 8 second reload time and is almost silent
to operate. A drone caught in a net has little chance of escape
however net based attacks can be defended by creating a protective
chicken-wire bubble around the drone. Companies with net based solutions
include atheist UAV solutions, Skysec and Openworks Engineering.
Laser's offer another high-tech approach to countering drones a laser gun uses
directed energy to destroy vital segments of the drone causing it to
crash to the ground. Lasers are a military-level counter option.
They are typically mounted on vehicles so they lack the portability of other
solutions. Lasers are multi functional, many of them were initially developed as
a countermeasure to missiles and IEDs. In more recent years they've been used on
the battlefield to counter drones. Lasers a unique solution, they have no muzzle
flash sound or kickback and as a laser travels at the speed of light there's no
need to consider the direction and speed of target. You simply aim and click.
There's nothing subtle about the effects of a laser a successful attack will
leave the drone racing to the earth in flames. As such outside of the
battlefield there's limited application for laser based drone counters. Companies
such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin MBDA Deutschland and Marduk technologies have
all developed laser based on counters.
Projectiles offer a more direct option. There are regular or custom design ammo
available that will destroy or disable incoming drones. At just $20 four
pack of three the Skynet 12-gauge shotgun shells are one of the cheapest
options available. Inside the shells is a 5-foot web attached to tether and pieces
that expand outwards. The net wraps around the drones interfering with the
propellers and force them the drone to the ground. If the round misses the drone
it is designed to parachute to the ground to reduce unwanted damage or
injury. The biggest weakness to the Skynet shells is that it requires a
shotgun which massively limits where you can use it, so great for the farm
terrible for the city. Alternatively there are also non-drone specific options as well.
The Skynet shells are made by AMtech.
Non-physical attacks from drone guns or drone jammers are highly effective at
stopping drones. These devices are essentially a high-powered antenna that
blasts the drones antenna with a signal powerful enough to drown out the
controller. Many drones respond to this lack of signal by returning home, attempting a
safe landing or crashing out of the sky. These devices are practical at over one
mile have no reload time, can function for two hours and require minimal
training. They're often sold as part of a larger system that detects drones, sends
an alerts to security, who in turn use these devices to disable the drone. There
are three challenges with jammers; firstly jamming devices are illegal for
civilian to own or operate in many countries, secondly they are blanket
approach that jams mobiles and other GPS signals and, thirdly, some drones respond
by crashing into the ground. There are loads of companies offering
jamming devices Battelle, CerbAir and ArtSYS360 and more. There are other approaches
beyond these five methods such as the collision drones, Eagles, Golf clubs, Jet
skis and more but essentially all counter drone approaches fall into one
of these groups. The demand for counter drone technology has only really emerged
in the last three years. There is no international standard for the design
and use of counter drone technology. Many of the solutions are not mature and
testing has shown that some fail to make advertised claims. This is
particularly troubling as a jamming system could interfere with emergency
radio communication or a physical attack could miss his target. In September 2017
homeland security recommended only 13 counter drone products for use by emergency
response agencies. That's pretty low constrain there over 230 products on the
market.
This video is partly based on a paper written by Arthur Mitchel. If you're
interested in learning more I've included a link to it below. Let me know
what solution was your favorite in the comments below.
Embrace curiosity. Thanks for watching