AMR Future Brief| Counter-drone Technologies Countering Drone Threats
Counter-drone, or anti-drone, is an advanced defense system that tracks, detects, identifies, and neutralizes malicious activities and threats posed by rogue drones. These drones are equipped with drone detection radar, cyber takeover systems, camera, sensors, and net guns, which facilitate effectively detect and counter security challenges. Major security threats arising from rogue drones include airspace obstruction, destructive payloads, unauthorized media, and surveillance. The countermeasures taken into consideration after capturing the disruptive drone include taking control of the drone, neutralizing the drone, and physically destroying the drone.??
Essential Role of Counter-drones in Detecting Rogue Drone Activities?
The use of drones has increased exponentially to safeguard national security, enhance border safety, improve counterinsurgency, and execute drone surveillance across commercial properties. Moreover, they are applicable across various industries such as logistics, agriculture, surveillance, and disaster management. As the range of applications increases, manufacturers drones are focusing on increasing the efficacy of drones across numerous other fields. However, the rapid penetration of unauthorized drones is posing safety and security challenges. Alarming rise has been witnessed in the use of rogue drones for illegal activities like delivery of smuggled goods to prisons, privacy invasions, destruction of critical infrastructure, unlawful surveillance, and potential terrorist attacks. According to Dedrone, a leading drone defense company, approximately 1,067,112 drone flight violations were recorded in 2023 in the U.S. Dedrone further identified 900,000 violations at the end of September 2024.??
Moreover, governments have implemented a standard guideline that drones should not fly over 400 feet to prevent collisions with aircraft. However, around 678,095 FAA standard 400 feet violations were reported by Dedrone in 2023. As a result, with increasing number of unauthorized drone incidents and public safety concerns, the need for anti-drones has risen simultaneously.??
How Counter-drone Technologies Identify Unauthorized Drones?
Counter-drone technologies detect, track, identify, and mitigate unauthorized drones that pose security threats. To detect rogue drones, counter-drones are equipped with radar, optical sensors, acoustic sensors, and radio frequency scanning system. Signals are sent to the operator about the unauthorized drone flying in a designated warning zone. On detection of the drone, the counter-drone tracks the path of the rogue drone and location of its operator. This helps the security teams to assess whether the drone is a threat and respond accordingly.?
Furthermore, identifying the drone involves analyzing the drone's radio signals, visual markers, or flight behavior to determine its model and intent. Depending on preloaded databases of authorized drones, some systems can classify drones as friendly or hostile. Mitigation technologies are used to neutralize rogue drones after detection and identification. For instance, operations of unauthorized drone are interfered with the help of interference signals.??
Other important countermeasures include jamming the device, which enables the disruption of drone communication with its controller, forcing it to land or return. Spoofing technique is used to trick the drone’s GPS system, thereby taking control of it, whereas missile interception systems are designed to disable or destroy unauthorized drones. In addition, rogue drone operators are temporarily blinded or disabled with the use of high-power lasers. As a result, these technologies play an essential? role in military, airport security, critical infrastructure protection, and event security to prevent drones from being used for espionage, smuggling, or attacks.?
The Crux?
With alarming rise in number of rogue drone activities, the need for counter-drones has increased substantially. Illegal activities such as smuggling of drugs, unauthorized spying privacy invasions, and terrorist attacks have increased considerably, which has necessitated the deployment of anti-drones. Nearly 900,000 drone violations were observed by Dedrone in September 2024, making unauthorized drone incidents and public safety the major concerns. As rogue drone threats are on the rise, the adoption of robust counter-drone technologies has become important l to safeguard national security and public safety.?
To gain more insights into the futuristic applications of counter-drones, feel free to talk to our industry analysts today! For any further queries, you can also chat with them here!??
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