Counter-UAS Capabilities
Detecting Drones
Counter-UAS systems are used to alert the operator that a drone is in a designated warning zone. These detection systems can be fixed-site or portable, depending on the needs of the operator. They use various detection technologies, including radar, optical and acoustics. See below for detailed descriptions of some of the most important detection technologies used today.
Tracking Drones
Once a drone is detected, a counter-drone solution may have the capability to track the path of the drone as well as the location of the pilot, providing airspace situational awareness to the operator.
Identifying Drones
As drones increase in popularity, many organizations have begun to use them in their daily operations. When a counter-uas system identifies a drone signature, the operator can then label a drone as friend or foe, allowing authorized drones to continue functioning without interruption from the C-UAS. The system can also identify the model of the drone, giving security personnel information about the range, speed and payload capabilities of the drone in their airspace.
Mitigtating UAS
Drones may be repelled or intercepted using mitigation technologies. Interference signals, for example, might interfere with the drone's operation. Active countermeasures include jamming devices that attempt to disrupt drone communications, missile interception systems designed to bring down uncrewed aircraft, and high-power lasers capable of temporarily blinding or disabling the drone operators.
Types of Counter-UAS technologies
There are several types of counter-UAS technologies:
Some counter-UAS technology use only one type of sensor (ie: just RF or just radar or just acoustics). Others may or may not include one type of mitigation like jamming, takeover or kinetic mitigation. Most military CUAS applications offer an end-to-end kill chain that includes at least one form of DTI that then directs a mitigation option. The most sophisticated CUAS solution act as a C2 CUAS platform and are able to ingest multiple forms of sensor input, fuse this information into a single version of airspace reality and then direct the most appropriate mitigation solution based on the situation at hand. Below are some of the different types of counter-UAS technologies.
Counter-UAS Sensors
Sensors are designed to detect, identify & track UAS in real-time
This section includes sensors that use different technologies to sense drones within their range. Such a solution enables organizations to provide improved airspace situational awareness and take appropriate countermeasures to protect airspace, buildings, aircraft and the public.
Dedrone gathers information from various sensors, analyzes it, and triggers an appropriate response. Our software connects to a variety of detection technologies and is therefore sensor agnostic. Dedrone’s DedroneTracker.AI, is a machine-learning CUAS C2 solution that uses multi-sensor fusion to provide real-time best in class intelligence for over 200 different drones.
The following are the most effective types of sensors in use today:
Radar
The communication link between the UAV (uncrewed aerial vehicle) and the control station is a critical part of the system. Many modern UAS use radio signals in the communication link. RF sensors receive and analyze these radio signals to detect, track and identify drone flights and locate the pilot. RF sensors are “passive,” meaning they can successfully detect UAV without detecting sensor emissions.
Dedrone's sensor agnostic platform integrates the most popular counter-UAS radar products into our command-and-control (C2) system.
Learn more about about how to include radar in your counter-drone technology stack.
Radio Frequency (RF) Analyzers
The communication link a critical part of the system between the UAV (uncrewed aerial vehicle) and the control station. Most modern UAS use radio signals in the communication link. Radio frequency (RF) sensors receive and analyze these radio signals to detect, identify & track drone operations. RF sensors, acoustic sensors are “passive,” meaning they can successfully detect UAV without detecting sensor emissions.
Our award winning RF-160 and RF-360 radio signal sensors use radio frequence to detect UAVs in real time.
Counter-Drone Acoustic Sensors
Counter-drone acoustic sensors create an acoustic image of the airspace around them and send the information back to a controller or computer system for analysis. Key benefits of acoustic sensors are their ability to sometimes detect drones outside of line-of-sight, including behind obstructions and in darkness or fog. In certain instances, they exceed the detection range of optics. For these reasons, acoustic sensors have a purpose in some drone detection scenarios. As with RF sensors, acoustic sensors are “passive,” or operate without concern for sensor emissions.
Optical Sensors
Optical sensors enable visual verification of drone incursions. Optical sensors are cameras that are integrated into the Counter UAS system. High-resolution video can provide security providers visual evidence of a drone's payload, allowing them to react to the observable threat. Optical sensors range in sophistication from simple security cameras to highly engineered EO/IR capable cameras.
Dedrone's open platform allows for the , creating a true airspace security end to end solution. These PTZ’s can range from simple to highly complex cameras.
Counter-UAS Mitigation
Counter-UAS mitigation strategies can be divided into four categories:
- Jammers
- Cyber-Takeover
- Kinetic
- High-Energy
Each method has its benefits and shortcomings depending on the specific threat at hand and the target that is being protected.
Another way to classify CUAS mitigation options is proactive versus reactive. Proactive countermeasures are techniques that allow for the anticipation of a drone's intended flight path. This allows for the implementation of defensive measures, such as turning off a drone's navigation system or stopping an uncrewed aircraft before it reaches its target. Reactive countermeasures take place once a drone has been detected by sensor systems; these may involve disabling the drone, repositioning defenses to intercept drones flying over sensitive locations, or issuing warnings when a drone is detected nearby (“ie: duck and cover”).
Radio Frequency Jammers
Jammers interfere with the communications link between the drone and the control station. By severing the transmission link, jammers cause the drone to go into its safety protocols meaning that the drone typically sets itself down gently or navigates back to its launch location. Jammers work on all RF drones and also work on drone swarms.
Jammers may be stationary, mounted devices or built into highly mobile, gun-like devices. They can be directed as a conic beam or an omni-directional force.
At only 7.5 pounds and just 22 inches long, DedroneDefender is one of the lightest and smallest precision jamming systems available on the market. It comes equipped with narrow-band jamming to minimize disruption to other devices and meets military standard MIL-STD-810H. DedroneDefender’s use of narrow-band or “comb” jamming reduces the risk of interference with other systems in the area like Wi-Fi and is specifically configured to the identified malicious drone’s protocols as prescribed by DedroneTracker.AI detection solution. Once communications are interrupted on a drone, it enters a pre-programmed safety mode to minimize risk to others and damage to the drone.
Dedrone's DroneDefender® jams in the most common frequencies in which drones operate and effectively counters a wide range of COTS UAS.
Cyber-Takeover
Cyber-takeover is a way of mitigating a drone by taking over the drone remotely, by impersonating the control station. It is done by hacking into the drone, essentially tricking the drone to switch fromthe legitimate controller. Cyber-takeover lets the mitigator direct the flight of the drone and access the drone's data and camera. This is an elegant way to mitigate a drone when it works. Unfortunately the success rate of cyber takeover is low for two reasons, the mitigating controller must be able to predict frequency hopping of drone and must always maintain a more powerful a signal to the drone than the original remote. Additionally, cyber-takeover does not work on a drone swarm.
Kinetic Mitigation Options
There are many forms of kinetic mitigation options. Kinetic solutions are essentially all options that physically effect the drone from reaching its intended target. These can include everything from missiles, to kamikaze drones, to drones that shoot nets and even specially trained birds of prey. Kinetic mitigation solutions, although mentally satisfying suffer from lower success rates and do not work on drone swarms.
High Energy Mitigation Options
- Lasers: Lasers are a type of high-energy mitigation and can be used to destroy malicious drones. Lasers are cost efficient as a means of mitigation and effective over long distances. They can also affect drones that are hardened against jamming, including drones that operate without radio signal direction, or are autonomously programmed. They can be mounted on vehicles or aircraft and do not require a lot of setup time. They also have little effect on human beings or other objects, making them safe to use in populated areas. Drawbacks include being affected by adverse weather and other line of site factors.
- High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices:High-power microwave devices use high power electromagnetic energy to stop drones. The counter-UAS system emits an intense microwave beam that is so powerful it can destroy a small drone within seconds. The counter-UAS system uses high power microwaves to disable or destroy nearby drones. The device emits an intense beam of energy which can quickly destroy uncrewed aircraft. It can mitigate either individual drones or even swarms of autonomous drones because the wide beam that destroys the drone's hardware over a wide area. HPM devices are a high cost/high impact technology and are traditionally more available to the military.
In addition to all the mitigation methods above, one can also out in place reactionary methods that act more as protective measures when a drone is detected nearby. These generally fall under an umbrella known as “duck and cover”. For example, some modern office buildings are equipped with automatically triggered window shades that block views from the outside to protect from corporate espionage by drone cameras.
