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Antidron: reflection of UAV and quadrocopter attacks

In the last article, “ Perimeter Security - The Future Already, ” I wrote about the main problem of existing means of protection: the lack of information about the movements of the intruder before crossing the security zone and after that.

As readers correctly noted in the comments, the violator can be not only a person or a group of people, an animal or a vehicle, but also drones / quadrocopters. And to deliver such devices can not only goods from the online store, but also a dangerous cargo. Or do intelligence.

The classic means of protecting private territories and perimeter security systems are practically useless in this situation. As a result, the direction of antidrons has been actively developing for several years to counteract quadrocopters and UAVs. We will talk about the principles of operation of such decisions.

Examples of the capabilities of drones and quadrocopters to carry out an attack


You are probably familiar with the video that appeared back in 2017, in which UC Berkeley professor Stuart Russell showed the possibility of creating autonomous tiny killer drones. And he expressed the idea of ​​a new world in which nuclear weapons are replaced by a swarm of microcopters.


And at the beginning of 2018, the media published messages from the Russian Ministry of Defense that on the night of January 6, unmanned aerial vehicles fired at Russian military base Khmeimim in Syria. No one was hurt, the drones were shot down, the Ministry of Defense posted their photos on Twitter.

How to neutralize such devices? About examples of guns and rifles-antidrons, how to make them and buy components, they repeatedly wrote on Habr: https://habr.com/ru/company/coptertime/blog/405537/

There are also quite alternative solutions: fighting bird-antidrons:


Laughter with laughter, but the main task - the detection of drones and tracking them long before they get into the protected area - do not solve these approaches. Even before neutralization, the drone can send the collected information, or throw off a dangerous cargo in a protected area.

Currently, various systems and systems for detecting and countering drones and UAVs are known. They work on different physical principles. Acoustic - control the spectra of sound frequencies characteristic of drones. Such allow you to detect a drone in close proximity at a distance of several hundred meters. Radio frequency methods analyze radio wave signals in the frequency ranges over which the drone is controlled.

Such devices are more “long-range". But it is difficult for all these devices to determine the direction (azimuth, elevation angle) from which this very drone flies.

More advanced drone detection devices use near-radar technology. The main developments of such advanced solutions for the use of radar for detecting and combating drones are carried out in Israel (MAGOS), the USA (ICX Technologies Inc., Rockwell Collins), Europe (Prime Consulting and Technologies) and in the Russian Federation (“ENOT”, “Radeskan-Antidron” ”,“ Dome-M ”).

The near-radar technologies used provide the most complete information about the movement of the tracked object: the location of detection, the trajectory of movement in the area or water area, speed, size. Video surveillance frames are recorded in the event that there is an additional rotary platform with a video camera or thermal imager.

Possibilities of radar "antidrons":

  • round-the-clock work in any weather;
  • detection of moving low-flying objects (light-engine aircraft, glider, UAV, quadrocopter);
  • real-time display of target path parameters on the monitor;
  • automatic “tracking” of the target’s movement with a television camera or thermal imager;
  • suppression of radio channels for UAV control and navigation (option for some sets).

There are limitations to radar aids for detecting drones. They work effectively in “open” spaces: open areas without tall trees, tall buildings, water areas, airports, etc.

As options for radar drone detection tools, dron deactivation tools are used. These are radio interference generators that simply “blind” the drone, affecting the drone control frequencies and the frequencies of navigation satellites.

The radiation power of means for suppressing the working radio frequencies of drones (radiation of broadband interference) greatly affects the operation of civilian facilities in the 433 MHz range, WiFi routers, and mobile communications. The drone control frequencies are 433 MHz / 2.4 GHz / 5.8 GHz, are suppressed in the sector with a radius of up to 500 m. The frequencies of navigation satellites: GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU are suppressed in the sector with a radius of up to 1000 m.

As a rule, manufacturers of means of suppression have safety certificates for humans.

Drone Detection and Tracking Example



The screenshot shows the trajectory of the captured target, range, azimuth, video camera window and other parameters.

At the end of the article, I posted a video fragment of the work of the antidron system.

The algorithm of the radar detection tool drone


From the beginning of the moment of detecting the drone, the place of its detection is displayed on the terrain plan and then the trajectory of its movement in the azimuth plane. Automatic control of the rotary device with a video camera or thermal imager allows you to further identify the detected target and decide on further actions.

The suppression device (there is a manual and automatic inclusion) prevents the further movement of the drone to the object.

The range of directional suppressor depends on the design and can be 1000-1500 m. When you turn on the suppression system, the drone freezes and becomes uncontrollable. Suppression of drone control signals can be omnidirectional (360 degrees in the form of a dome over an object with a radius of up to 500 m).

Manufacturers practically do not upload videos demonstrating the operation of the equipment. But something can be requested and laid out with permission.

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