Drone Defense

A cutting-edge UK laser defense asset has been successfully tested against simulated enemy aircraft – which, in a reflection of the swiftly changing nature of conflict these days, cast drones in the supporting role of the doomed invader.

Fast-moving California defense startup Anduril has announced the release of a new type of aircraft called Roadrunner, which is situated somewhere between a drone and missile and designed to address the kind of military and economic dilemmas that cash-strapped countries like Ukraine face in responding to aerial attacks.

Although not ready for deployment just yet, a new UK anti-drone weapon known as DragonFire has delivered some impressive results in testing at the very time people in Ukraine are hoping for new tech capable of neutralizing the brutal missile and UAV attacks on the nation’s cities.

US defense and security company Leidos Inc. has won a $26 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract to deliver its next-generation counter-drone system designed to neutralize attacks by both individual and swarming UAVs.

Cue the music from Jaws, with maybe a bit of “Ride of the Valkyries” blended in for that Apocalypse Now feel. Because China has developed a two-meter-long military shark drone for deployment in intelligence gathering and anti-submarine warfare activity.

France’s military successfully completed advanced testing of its anti-drone laser weaponry, and said the country plans on deploying the tech around the country within a couple years. Officials said they hoped to have drone-blasting energy defense systems up and running in time for the France-hosted World Cup of Rugby in 2023, and the Paris Summer Olympics the following year.

A friendly word of advice to officials and media in India still going bat do-do over an alleged terrorist drone attack on one of the nation’s air force bases: Don’t do the work of extremists for them. That’s a reminder that anyone responding to suspected terror action should remember, but one particularly worth shouting above the hysterical din still raging in India more than a week after the June 27 incident.

Imagine a formation of unidentified drones brazenly violating banned airspace over a major international event just as dignitaries arrive by helicopter to kick things off. The security threat created would be off the charts – unless you had an enormous high-tech gun capable of picking drones off from far away. That’s exactly what happened, and without fuss, at the opening ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2019.

British aeronautic and defense giant BAE Systems has developed a solar-powered, stratosphere-flying drone that can act as a backup option to disabled communications satellites.

Multi-tasking drones are great, but how about multi-modal craft? Meet Robotic Research’s Pegasus uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), which can buzz around the heavens, then zip across the ground – tank style – after landing.

The US military has come up with a new, highly effective weapon for zapping enemy drones out of the skies. Pardon the wonky, technical terminology, but what the Mobile Force Protection (MFP) system does is hock a big loogie of plastic pink stuff that looks suspiciously like Silly String at targeted craft, and down goes Frazier.

Counter drone systems specialist Citadel Defense is vastly enlarging its San Diego presence. The company has unveiled a large array of new facilities – including its headquarters building – as a means of keeping pace with booming demand.

The Italian military is testing the use of direct-energy beams in blasting hostile or unauthorized drones from the skies. The leading sources of those thus far are microwaves and lasers.

The ability to detect drones is important. And, over the course of two nights last fall, a division of the NYPD carried out an ambitious exercise designed to test multiple drone detection technologies.

Britain’s latest drone, the Protector RG Mk1, has hit a major milestone by completing its first flight before its 2021 delivery date. The drone, internally known as GA-ASI, will be delivered to the UK Ministry of Defense and provide intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance support from above.

Defense technology company Anduril Industries has managed to raise $200 million in its latest funding round, which was led by Andreessen Horowitz. Anduril Industries will use the money to further its research and development efforts and hire more staff.

The Pentagon wants a counter-drone SWAT team to be put together asap by Defense Digital Service (DDS) to detect, hack, and jam enemy drones – with wide potential applications for Joint All-Domain Command & Control.

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Take a look at this latest Israeli-developed counter-drone technology and watch the Drone Dome laser, dubbed Light Blade, take down a number of DJI Phantoms. The video that was uploaded to YouTube today shows a truck-mounted version of Drone Dome, a Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) weapon. The setup includes a search radar, drone-radio command detector, an electro-optical sensor, and a command-and-control system.

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An article on Vice describes how wild the market of anti-drone systems and counter-drone tech has become. Methods used range from drone-jamming rifles to ground installations that fire nets to catch unmanned aircraft. The article is based on a research paper on counter-drone technology that was released by The Center for the Study of The Drone at Bard College.

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