We’ve all seen drone lightshows
with gorgeous patterns in the sky.
Unfortunately for you,
the drones swarming
are not that type of drone.
This swarm is targeting you,
with the intent to kill you
and everyone around you.
A drone swarm is not
just a bunch of drones
that move together.
The difference between true swarms
and a drone light show
is that light shows
have a central computer tracking
each drone
and moving them together in accordance
with area rules and regulations.
A true autonomous swarm doesn’t always
require a central controller
and each individual unit
has a slightly different set of rules
to follow.
If one of those rules is to wipe you out,
what should you do?
A 2018 U.S. Army study
estimated that swarming would make
attack drones
at least 50% more lethal
while at the same time
decreasing their defensive losses by 50%.
In the last couple of years,
China, France,
India, Spain,
South Africa, the United States
and the United Kingdom
have all tested or unveiled new programs
for drone swarms.
These drones can be used
to gather information, communicate
or attack.
There are programs currently working
on counter-drone technology
like the Air Force’s microwave-based
Tactical High Power Microwave
Operational Responder (THOR) system,
but the problem is that there's a risk
of civilian casualties.
During a swarm,
taking cover in dense forest
can be effective for avoiding an attack
if you're stranded away from a building.
When there is heavy brush or trees,
the drones have a harder time finding
what they are looking for.
An underground bunker or tunnel
could be effective,
but if the location is discovered
grenades and other explosives
could still be dropped on it.
In May of 2021,
the Israel Defense Forces
sent the first military drone swarm
into combat.
It hit dozens of targets,
along with other missiles and munitions.
Not much else is known about the event.
Drones require infrared cameras
to find their targets using heat sensors.
These sensors can be evaded
by being equipped with some form
of metal covering,
such as a Mylar thermal blanket.
An engineering professor at the U.S. Naval
Postgraduate School,
Isaac Kaminer, says that stopping
a swarm is more than just using bullets
to knock them down.
They need to be outsmarted.
According to Kaminer,
in order to defeat the swarm,
you need to take advantage
of its programmed protocols.
For example, with a swarm that has
a collision-avoidance rule,
a few outsider drones can herd the swarm
or force them to run into each other.
If the swarm is programmed
to attack something specific,
you can use decoys.
However, the challenge here
is figuring out what exactly the drones
have been told to do.
This can be determined by observing
their movements and seeing
how they react to foreign objects.
Sending in outside drones can provoke
reactions that can then be analyzed
and used against the swarm.
If you are lucky enough to be caught
in a swarm during a hunting trip,
small caliber bullets might work
on smaller drones.
It would be difficult however to take out
thousands of drones using just guns.
But, in a worst-case scenario event,
this can be a good option
for at least taking out a few drones.
Many drones can be stopped
or at the very least deterred
via jamming their GPS or Wi-Fi signals.
There are many companies working on
technology to disable drones.
Raytheon in the U.S.
is developing technology to disable drones
with an electromagnetic pulse.
If you see the drones in the sky
and they seem like they're coming for you,
hopefully this is not the beginning
of World War 3.
If it is,
we can help you to survive that, too,
right here on How to Survive.