Simply put: you are protecting your airspace from drones that may enter it without your permission.
Why do you need drone defense?
Drone defense has become a major asset for critical infrastructure, airports, prisons and stadiums, as well as large event organizers
There is no question that drones are great machines; providing hobbyists with hours of enjoyment and helping commercial pilots save time, improve safety, acquire fast and accurate data, and increase efficiency and ROI.
However, if placed in the wrong hands, the UAS (unmanned aerial system) can be used for illegal or illicit means, be it as a smuggling device, a tool for terrorists or simply to cause nuisance.
This is why installing anti-drone technology and having a drone defense strategy is essential.
Airports
Infrastructure
Stadiums
Events
Prisons
Mines
The incident at Gatwick Airport in December 2018 showed the disruption that can be caused by alleged drone sightings, resulting in runway closures for 33 hours and a total cost of £50m to the airport, the airlines and insurers.
HOW CAN A 3DIGITAL PARTNER ASSIST MY DRONE DEFENSE STRATEGY?
Our partner is a global drone defense expert: we walk you through all the solutions to make sure your drone defenses are effective.
Our specialist drone safety partner became the supplier and installer DJI AeroScope Anti-UAS among the most respected in Italy.
Our partner has expanded its offering to the Anti-UAS market by partnering with a number of key names in the industry to offer a comprehensive tiered solution, allowing you to combat illegal drones in multiple ways.
DJI AeroScope Specialist.
Secure Servers/API Access/Free SDK
Main customers including the largest Italian airports
Demos and trials with rental options
Integration with some of the other solutions
Global provider of Drone Defense
As part of our drone defense package, we can offer:
- Equipment trials and rental options
- Service Level Agreements; our promise to provide consistent support and delivery
- Installation assessments and pre-site visits to select the best location for your detection system
- On-site emergency calls and phone/email support
DJI AEROSCOPE – DJI'S SOLUTION FOR DRONE DETECTION
An essential tool for drone defense.
What is AeroScope?
DJI AeroScope is a purpose-built drone detection system that allows an operator to quickly and easily track real-time telemetry data from DJI drones.
This allows the operator to secure their airspace and make an informed decision amid a drone threat.
DJI AeroScope is available in mobile and stationary formats, and the more powerful system can identify drones within a 50km radius.
Why choose AeroScope?
For years, AeroScope systems supplied by our partner have logged more than 340,000 drone flights, with some of these operations exceeding legal restrictions. Having this data gives users a clear picture of how drones operate within their airspace and gives them the ability to act quickly and decisively to combat a potential threat.
DJI drones are world leaders because they are easy-to-use ready-to-use solutions that deliver reliable results. DJI AeroScope is no different.
The system is a rapidly deployable solution that captures data quickly and in a format that other platforms can digest.
DJI AeroScope passes rigorous safety tests
DJI AeroScope has proven to be a safe system, having been evaluated and subsequently approved by the UK's Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).
It has been successfully evaluated under the CPNI Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) Detect, Track and Identify (DTI) test and evaluation standard.
As a result, DJI AeroScope will be included in the CPNI Safety Equipment Catalog (CSE). The CSE is available to help security professionals identify appropriate physical security equipment.
DJI AeroScope lets you view a real-time drone flight summary, showing the aircraft's flight position, its height, speed, and the position of the pilot.
This provides you with accurate and actionable data, which can be used to make an informed decision about protecting your airspace.
The Statistics Report page shows an overview and analysis of tracking data. Provides information on the number of flights detected, flight altitudes and detection distance.
Users can also drill down into historical flights by searching for keywords such as flight number and device ID, and viewing flight path records.
DJI AeroScope heatmaps show the detection frequency and location distribution in the areas surrounding your asset or facility.
This allows you to analyze hotspot areas and take necessary action.
Advanced monitoring allows users to easily set specific monitoring rules, such as date and time ranges, custom monitoring areas, and choose alert alert methods.
You can also choose different options to monitor the behavior of a drone in your airspace. Want to know when a drone is too close for convenience?
Then select Monitor object displayed in target interval and a system alert will be triggered as soon as the monitored object appears in the scheduled monitoring interval.
The G8 and G16 systems send email notifications, as well as visual and audible on-screen alerts. This means that the AeroScope can be used remotely and ensures that users don't have to sit behind a desk, waiting for a survey.
The CPNI assessment found the following:
- AeroScope is very simple to set up, learn and use;
- The system has an intuitive interface;
- AeroScope responded to multiple UAS operating simultaneously;
- Detection, tracking, and identification performance was consistent.
DRONE DEFENSE CASE STUDY
Learn more about our experience with top drone defense program success stories.
DJI Aeroscope for drone detection at Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is equipped with a sophisticated drone defense system, which is now part of the airport's overall anti-UAV capability.
The UK's second-busiest airport has taken action after suspected drone sightings in December 2018, which grounded more than 1,000 flights and affected 140,000 passengers.
Gatwick has used anti-drone technology as part of a wider and more comprehensive solution that protects the airport from a wide range of unmanned aircraft.
DJI AeroScope detects drones at British Grand Prix
DJI AeroScope was used to detect illegally flown drones during the 2019 British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone.
Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Emergency Services Drone Team used the sophisticated drone detection system, along with other software, to help track down rogue unmanned vehicles within the 2.5 mile restricted zone around the circuit.
A small number of drones were detected, two of which were impounded over the weekend, having been pilot-controlled at nearby campsites and closer to the circuit by remote pilots seemingly unaware of their responsibilities and limitations as drone users.
A DRONE LAYERED DEFENSE SOLUTION FOR COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION
Modern security requires a layered approach that keeps pace with the evolution of drone technology.
To take drone detection to the next level and have a complete, all-encompassing strategy, a layered solution is an extremely effective course of action.
AeroScope is a sophisticated kit and is the best in the industry for detecting DJI drones and providing real-time, in-depth information on a potential UAV threat. However, AeroScope can only detect DJI drones. But this is not a limit, according to analysts they are more than two thirds of the global market for civilian drones.
However, this is nothing to be scoffed at, as the AeroScope works with all current DJI drone models, which analysts say comprise more than two-thirds of the global civilian drone market.
As DJI dominates the drone market, it's essential that AeroScope is at the heart of your drone defense strategy.
But it's also important to fill the gaps, and that's where a multi-sensor solution comes in, integrating DJI AeroScope with other solutions.
This is why our multi-layered approach, using a mix of anti-drone technology from a number of industry leaders, such as BT, Advanced Protection Systems (aps), Operational Solutions Ltd (OSL), Rinicom, Altitude Angel and OpenWorks Engineering, it's so effective.
Our multi-level solution can include a second RF, Radar/3D detector and optical camera with up to four detector modules each providing 90° coverage and a powerful 360° PTZ camera to zoom in on the detected object for analysis the signature . All of these systems can be merged using a sophisticated interface.
In essence, the layered solution is scalable and flexible depending on customer needs.
TYPES OF DRONES DEFENSE
An overview of how different technologies will help defend your airspace from illegal drones.
Having a reliable drone solution gives you peace of mind that you will be protected from an illegally flown UAS and will be able to react quickly to any potential threat.
Here's a look at some of the anti-drone techniques that exist to combat an attack.
Radar
Radar is another method of detecting and tracking drones.
Some advanced radar systems offer 360-degree coverage, fast and fully automatic drone classification and flight path tracking.
Camera / Video
Cameras are another drone sensing technique, capturing the motion of UAVs, using appearance-based, motion-based, or hybrid methods.
The system has many commercial and defense applications, such as prisons, airports and places of interest, however there are limitations.
Motion-based methods, for example, can struggle to distinguish between drones and birds, while visual detection depends on line of sight.
Acoustic
Acoustics fills a vital gap in proximity drone detection, as a strict line-of-sight to the target is not required for positive tracking.
The drone can operate in urban canyons, cluttered areas, behind obstacles and in darkness or fog, out of radar and optical range, but still within earshot of an acoustic sensor.
Using hundreds of interconnected microphone elements, the acoustic sensor units are able to establish a bearing and elevation to the target in real time using advanced digital signal processing.
Thermal
Thermal imaging can be used to detect drones. Tests have shown that, using a thermal imaging camera, it is possible to detect and, with a sufficient database, even identify foreign UAVs.
The main source of heat comes from the drone's batteries. Investigations have shown that the maximum detection range is shorter than expected.
Methods of defense against drones
Jammers
Jammers are designed to disrupt a drone by blasting electromagnetic noise at the radio frequencies at which drones operate and transmit video and at a high enough power level to drown out any effective communication between the drone and its pilot.
This is known as RF-jamming and this method does not interfere with manned aircraft, cell phones, public broadcasting or other dedicated radio bands.
When a drone is hit by a jammer's signal, the drone usually returns to its point of origin (unless the GPS is also jammed), giving the jammer user the ability to track the drone back to the pilot.
Sometimes the drones could even perform a vertical descent and land in place intact. Landing in place is also the general drone response when both RF and GPS are locked at the same time.
Jammers can be effective against drones several kilometers away.
While jammers are generally restricted for use in many countries except by military, police and first responders depending on the laws, non-GPS jammers are legal in a number of countries.
It is important to review the laws and regulations of your country and state that you are able to determine if using a drone jammer is legal before using one.
Guns
Perhaps one of the most obvious ways to stop a drone threat is to shoot them down. However, this isn't always a popular option.
A number of companies have produced portable or shoulder-mounted devices that can be used to shoot nets at rogue drones, trapping them and preventing the blades from spinning, causing them to fall out of the sky.
But such net snare guns are most useful when used in conjunction with other sensing technologies.
Laser
Lasers are another way to combat a drone attack. Both the US and China have experimented with technology that can bring down a device within seconds of locating it.
One method involves a high-energy beam that spots and disables small drones from several miles away. This technology apparently uses infrared cameras that can work in low visibility conditions, such as fog.
During 2018, China demonstrated a laser gun called the Silent Hunter, which can intercept drones with "high accuracy".
Eagles
A more natural solution has been developed in the Netherlands, with police using trained eagles to shoot down hostile drones.
The birds do this by hooking onto the propellers with their claws, instantly disabling them.
Trainers say the eagles see UAVs as prey, so they aren't interested in attacking anything else when they're released. However, there were problems, with reports that the eagles wouldn't always do what they were trained to do.