In today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, drones have become a significant part of both commercial and personal spheres. However, as beneficial as drones can be, they also pose potential threats, especially when used maliciously. This brings us to the critical topic of drone mitigation—specifically, the importance of time and distance in effectively neutralizing rogue drones.
Tips for the Reader
- Look for systems that provide a fast response time and a long detection range to ensure effective mitigation, particularly in complex environments with multiple drones.
- In high-traffic or critical zones (like airports), a system with a fast mitigation time can be the difference between preventing an incident and a potential disaster.
- As drones continue to get faster and more advanced, counter-drone technologies must evolve to keep up. Look for solutions that offer continuous updates and the ability to mitigate drones even at high speeds like Sentrycs.
The Importance of Quick and Safe Mitigation
Mitigating threatening drones swiftly and at a safe distance from their intended targets is crucial. Ideally, mitigation should occur without disrupting friendly drones or other communication and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) systems.
Today, the most advanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) solutions leverage protocol analytics and cyber algorithms. These systems can neutralize rogue drones without affecting friendly drones or other communications. Moreover, they can disconnect the drone from its operator, take control over it, and safely land it in a predefined area, ensuring zero collateral damage.
Factors to Consider in Effective Drone Mitigation
Currently, there are only a few solutions on the market capable of such precision. However, they vary in their algorithms and methods of assuming control over the drone as well as in the way they adjust to real operational environments. When evaluating a C-UAS solution, it’s essential to consider:
1. Mitigation Effective Range:
How far can the system detect and mitigate drones?
2. Mitigation Time:
How long does it take to assume control over a single drone?
3. System Capacity During Mitigation:
What happens to the system while it is busy mitigating a drone?
Detection and Mitigation Range
A counter-drone system’s mitigation range often depends on its detection range. If a C-UAS solution cannot detect drones early enough and at a distance, it will struggle to mitigate them safely, especially if dealing with multiple drones.
At Sentrycs, we prioritize ensuring that mitigation takes only a few seconds—usually less than three seconds. Additionally, we have increased the maximum range for drone takeover to 2-3 km in open areas, thanks to our smart RF module.
The Criticality of Speed and Range
The importance of quick mitigation and extended range cannot be overstated for two main reasons:
1. System Responsiveness During Mitigation:
Typically, during mitigation, the system focuses solely on that task. If mitigation takes too long, the system will not update the sky view, meaning other drones may go undetected, untracked, and unmitigated.
2. Drone Speed:
Drones are becoming faster every day. If it takes around one minute to take control, drones that fly 100km per hour will pass 1.7 km within that timeframe. If the mitigation range is less than 1 km, the drone will reach its target in less than 35 seconds.
With Sentrycs’ extended mitigation range, drones can be neutralized long before they get close to their targets, even at high speeds. In three seconds, a typical FPV drone travels less than 100 meters.
Continuous Sky View Updates
Due to Sentrycs’ short mitigation time, the sky view provided in its command and control (C2) remains updated and accurate. This enables the detection and tracking of multiple drones simultaneously. Moreover, the system can mitigate several drones sequentially within less than a minute while keeping the sky view updated.
Expanding Mitigation Capabilities: Multi-Technology Approaches
While RF-based counter-drone systems like Sentrycs excel in mitigating commercial drones, the landscape of drone threats is evolving rapidly. Non-RF drones, which rely on alternative communication channels or autonomous navigation systems such as GPS/INS (Inertial Navigation Systems), pose a distinct challenge. For these threats, integrating complementary technologies into a mitigation framework is essential. Kinetic solutions, such as projectile-based systems, are effective against drones with hardened communications or military-grade capabilities. Similarly, high-power microwave (HPM) weapons can disrupt drone electronics without relying on traditional signal interference. Combining RF-based systems with these advanced techniques ensures a layered defense strategy that can neutralize a broader range of threats.
Adapting to Dynamic Drone Threats with AI and Machine Learning
Modern drones are becoming more agile, faster, and capable of sophisticated evasive maneuvers. This necessitates counter-drone systems that can adapt in real-time. Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into C-UAS platforms allows for continuous learning and refinement of detection algorithms. AI can predict drone flight paths, identify unusual patterns, and differentiate between benign and hostile drones with greater accuracy. Moreover, integrating AI with a continuous sky view ensures that systems can prioritize threats dynamically, focusing resources on the most immediate dangers while maintaining situational awareness. As drone technologies evolve, leveraging AI will be key to staying ahead of emerging threats.
Conclusion
While Cyber over RF (CRF) systems for drone takeover offer many benefits, they are ineffective if the mitigation time is too long or the range too short. Sentrycs’ short mitigation time and longer range make it the only effective CRF takeover solution available today.
It’s important to note that Sentrycs’ system handles only commercial, RF-based drones. For non-RF drones that rely on GNSS or navigation systems, and/or military drones, other mitigation methods—mainly kinetic means—are necessary.