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Airbus Rolls Out Anti-Drone System (networkworld.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the air-superiority dept.

coondoggie writes: The Airbus anti-drone system employs infrared cameras, radar technology and sensors to spot and track drones over six miles away, the company says. If the incoming drone is considered suspicious, the system can use electronic signals to jam the drone's communications and more: “Based on an extensive threat library and real-time analysis of control signals, a jammer interrupts the link between drone and pilot and/or its navigation. Furthermore, the direction finder tracks the position of the pilot who subsequently can be dealt with by law enforcement. Due to the Smart Responsive Jamming Technology developed by Airbus Defence and Space, the jamming signals are blocking only the relevant frequencies used to operate the drone while other frequencies in the vicinity remain operational. Since the jamming technology contains versatile receiving and transmitting capabilities, more sophisticated measures like remote control classification and GPS spoofing can be utilized as well. This allows effective and specific jamming and, therefore, a takeover of the UAV,” the company stated.

12 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. What could go wrong? by dunkindave · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seems like a perfect plan. What could possibly go wrong?

    1. Re:What could go wrong? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Against idiots and casual would-be malefactors who don't know what the hell they are doing, I assume that(while dubiously FCC approved in any case, and likely to interest Uncle Sam if it involves too much GPS-monkeying) jamming the drone's control link would work reasonably well.

      Against someone who is expecting to be jammed, I'd assume that the drone's default behavior would be 'fly toward the strongest RF source if you lose connection with manual control' and the jammer would be a nice handy beacon.to head right into as fast as possible.

    2. Re:What could go wrong? by He+Who+Has+No+Name · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Or, you know, set up an internal navigation system that is either based on image recognition using preloaded images compared to a downwards-facing camera, or onboard inertial / laser ring gyros.

      Lose contact with the encrypted command and control source? Switch to internal nav or mission profile and continue with Plan B.

      The jamming paradigm is built on the assumption that drones have to be phoning home to something. A drone that isn't interested in talking to the outside world can only be jammed with projectiles or a really big butterfly net.

    3. Re:What could go wrong? by DanielRavenNest · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You guys are overthinking the problem. If you want to shoot down an airliner, build an air cannon, set it up under the approach path to an airport, and lob explosives or ball bearings into the plane's path. The pumpkin throwing contests reached almost a mile with an 8 lb projectile, which is plenty of range. Smart ECM is of no use if you are throwing a dumb projectile.

  2. That a better answer than stopping sales by Ravaldy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Protecting an area that should be drone free is a better answer than any rules, regulations or bans they can come up with. Whether this truly is as effective as they claim is a whole other matter.

    1. Re:That a better answer than stopping sales by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Informative

      You don't even need to read the article - just look at the picture - to know this is a ground-based system. There is no "that aircraft screwing with their GPS."

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  3. April fool's day? by Obfuscant · · Score: 4, Informative
    Please tell me this is an April Fool's joke.

    Jamming the WiFi control signals to remove the UAS from the pilot's control? GPS spoofing to disrupt the GPS for every other GPS user within range?

    Deliberate and willful interference with regulated radio services should be, and is, a federal crime.

    1. Re:April fool's day? by bugnuts · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Jamming any RF signal is a federal crime, but no they aren't controlled over wifi. But that doesn't matter because intentionally jamming any RF signal is a federal crime.

      TFA discussed uses around prisons. That makes sense, and if remote enough, can probably get an exception to jam a signal.

      GPS spoofing (also illegal), can interfere with many other issues, most of them life-threatening.

    2. Re:April fool's day? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This may change if enough cheapie drones filled with assorted narcotic goodies keep making it over the fence; but my understanding is that team FCC has been surprisingly effective, even in the face of 'zOMG Security!' and 'Tough on Crime!' in holding the line on jammers. Contraband cellphones have proven tricky to keep out of prisons(not yet normally delivered by drones; but any facility moving around that much food, garbage, laundry, visitors, etc. is necessarily porous); and penal authorities would love to be able to just jam them, rather than painstakingly try to frisk the population over and over to try to stay ahead. So far, the answer has been No.

  4. This just in... by roc97007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Boeing 787 bound for Paris from New York mysteriously landed instead at Reykjavik, Iceland today. Boeing pilots say that there was no indication of failure of onboard navigation systems. "It's a mystery" commented one Boeing engineer.

    When asked to comment, an Airbus representative opined "Tough luck for Boeing".

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  5. Re:lasers by aberglas · · Score: 3

    Because the lasers are really not much of a threat, despite the hype.

  6. Re:So at first... by plover · · Score: 4, Informative

    The request came from the Department of Justice. These are to be installed in fixed locations, such as the roof of a prison. Just because Airbus created them does not mean they intend to install them on their aircraft.

    And very few prisons are traveling at 4 miles per minute, even those on final approach. :-)

    --
    John