A Drone Doubleheader for MLB

Two separate drone incidents have disrupted Major League Baseball (MLB) games in August.

On August 13, an unidentified drone flew over Fenway Park during the Boston Red Sox-Tampa Bay Rays game. The game was delayed for about six minutes in the top of the third inning by a drone flying outside the park beyond the right-field bleachers, according to The Boston Globe.

“A search of the area revealed there was a 16-year-old male and a friend who appeared to be operating the drone ...”

Earlier in August, a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Pittsburgh Pirates was suddenly halted when someone sent an unauthorized drone over Target Field and the players unveiled an interesting new “counter-drone defense.” 

DroneDJ, a drone ecosystem news outlet, reported on the disturbance: “While the DJI Mavic Pro went buzzing around, some of the players tried to take it down with baseballs. But smacking a drone in the air is tougher than nailing a strike. And so, the drone kept flying, delaying the game for about nine minutes.”

Serious Threat

Sports sites and bloggers enjoy writing humorous content about drone disruptions, and I had a little fun with this headline, but unmanned aerial systems (UAS) actually pose a serious threat and an inability to prevent intrusions could spur copycat incidents. The Washington Post has detailed several instances of drones interfering with major American sporting events in recent years

In addition to delaying games, drones can be used to record unauthorized videos of game play, interfere with the official broadcast and most ominously, carry an explosive payload as part of a mass terror attack.

Maybe these types of scenarios seem far-fetched, but years ago a UAS flew over a stadium in Belgrade and lowered a flag with a “Greater Albania” insignia during a qualifying soccer match between Serbia and Albania, according to The Guardian. This triggered a nasty brawl involving players, fans and team officials.

Commercial drones are readily available, relatively inexpensive and they can cause mayhem at packed sporting events – or even sparsely attended events during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. How can a rogue UAS be mitigated? 

Jammers emit large amounts of energy, blocking drones’ controller signals, which renders them largely unable to function properly. This is not the optimal solution for sports venues, for several reasons. Jammers affect other radio communications, which could hamper the live broadcast and the arena’s security personnel.

Many sports and concert venues today utilize drones to capture footage of events, but some jammer solutions may be unable to distinguish between “friend and foe.” Also, drones that get jammed can behave unpredictably, sometimes dangerously plummeting to the ground.

Kinetic counter-drone solutions, which involve shooting down the UAS, are also too risky in crowded stadiums. What goes up must come down, and the falling drone, or the metal debris that is created from shooting a drone, could injure players and fans.

The Grand Slam Solution

“Takeover” technology that would detect unauthorized or rogue drones, identify them and then automatically take control over the drones and land them in a safe, designated area would be a grand slam for sporting venues. An alert zone could be set on the outer perimeter of the stadium, with multiple protection zones blanketing the venue and surrounding areas.

Unlike conventional counter-drone technologies, proven takeover solutions empower security personnel with full control and protect players, fans, security personnel, concession staff, broadcasters and everyone else involved. Continuity would be ensured, with no need to interrupt a game or inadvertently frighten the fans.

Professional sports leagues and large venues should not wait for a tragedy to unfold before taking proactive measures against the drone threat. The time to act is now, before the next worrisome drone headline.