Anti-drone (Counter-drone)

Drones are big business right now if you’re a defense contractor, building drones, designing new drones, and trying to compete with drones coming out of Ukraine and Russia. However, the bigger concern is countering drones, and the Army has a new toy to test out.

DroneShield’s systems are getting sharper, faster, and far more connected, just as governments and infrastructure operators are scrambling to manage increasingly crowded skies. The counter-drone company has rolled out ADS-B integration for smarter aircraft tracking, launched a new DroneSentry-C2 Enterprise (C2E) platform for nationwide command-and-control, and unveiled its most ambitious AI-powered software update yet.

Counter-uncrewed systems (CUxS) tech specialist DroneShield has announced the launch of SentryCiv, a next-generation solution aimed at helping civilian sectors protect critical infrastructure from the growing threat of malicious drones.

The battlefield is changing, and so is the Bushmaster. The legendary armored vehicle, built by Thales Australia, has been a trusted shield for troops in war zones for over 20 years. But now, it’s stepping into the future with a powerful new trick up its sleeve — advanced counter-drone technology.

A wave of mysterious drone sightings has ignited swift federal action in New York, with Gov. Kathy Hochul announcing the deployment of a cutting-edge drone detection system to the state. This move comes after reports of unidentified aerial activity disrupted operations at Stewart International Airport and stirred public concern across the East Coast.

In response to the escalating challenges posed by drones, the Department of Defense (DoD) has launched a comprehensive strategy to address this evolving security threat. The initiative, detailed in an unclassified fact sheet, outlines measures to protect US interests against adversaries increasingly leveraging drones enhanced by artificial intelligence, autonomy, and networking technologies.

The National Football League (NFL), Justice Department, and FBI are urging Congress to act swiftly to bolster defenses against rogue drones threatening public safety at stadiums and critical facilities. Testifying before a House subcommittee on Tuesday, NFL security chief Cathy Lanier emphasized the urgency, stating, “The time to act to keep fans safe is now.”

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is taking a bold step into drone defense technology by partnering with Anduril Industries. This collaboration will focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with national security by developing advanced counter-drone systems (C-UAS) to protect US and allied forces from evolving drone threats.

As rogue drone incidents escalate worldwide, D-Fend Solutions is stepping up to meet the challenge with cutting-edge technology and significant financial backing. The counter-drone specialist has announced a $31 million investment round led by Israel Growth Partners (IGP), alongside existing investor Vertex Ventures and new contributor Vertex Growth.

Responding to a surge in demand for counter-drone technology, Australia’s DroneShield is expanding its presence across Europe. The Sydney-based company says it has added a specialized team of experts to bolster its support network in Europe, with a strong focus on Denmark and Germany.

The US Army held an anti-drone shoot out at Fort Drum, New York earlier this month to test out various systems for taking down drone attacks. This comes as every nation seems to be increasing its drone war plans as continued use of them in battle aren’t slowing down.

On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Investigators now say the gunman utilized a DJI drone to conduct pre-attack reconnaissance, significantly aiding his ability to carry out the attack.

American defense technology company Anduril Industries and German technology group Rheinmetall are joining forces to design, develop, and produce new layered counter-drone air defense systems, primarily targeting the European markets.

Counter-drone specialist Dedrone has launched DedroneOnTheMove, a sophisticated mobile solution to detect, identify, and mitigate unauthorized drones in real-time.

Canada has ordered the dissolution of anti-drone solutions company Bluvec Technologies on national security grounds. Bluvec has developed a portable solution to detect drones and drone operators in real-time.

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) has unveiled a new direct-energy system it says can neutralize individual and swarms of drones using high-powered radio waves.

DroneShield has rolled out one of the largest updates to the DroneSentry-C2 command and control counter-drone platform. The update packs in a completely revamped user interface, smarter AI, and more powerful drone detection capabilities.

Leading counter-UAV tech company, Dedrone, has announced a huge surge in 2023 results with an over 300% increase in revenues, fueled by what it said were 16 new government contracts signed over the past year.

ParaZero, an Israel-based company that builds drone safety systems for commercial aircraft and urban air mobility vehicles, says it plans to develop anti-drone solutions. The pivot comes amid reports that counter-drone tech could become a $15 billion market by 2032.

In a bid to strengthen its global aviation security partnerships, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recently conducted a counter-drone training in Croatia.

UK-based Unified Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider Altitude Angel has launched a new spinoff division, Prism Detect, focusing on airspace security. The division will focus on deploying fixed and mobile “ARROW” sensor towers that would help to enhance aerial detection and drone flight approvals to critical and sensitive infrastructure sites.