As drone technology advances even faster, countries are left in an ever-present fight to identify and mitigate bad actors’ drones. In Denmark, the moment of urgency seems to have arrived. Recent encounters with rogue, unidentified drones near major airports and military bases have raised national security red flags. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the increasing challenges that drones have been wielding against Ukraine and elsewhere. He stressed the challenges of fighting back against such devices without breaking the bank.
That cost consideration is incredibly important when it comes to drone countermeasures. Rutte stated, “It’s unacceptable to shoot down drones costing one or two thousand dollars with missiles that may cost half a million or even a million dollars.” To the U.S. military’s credit, this disparity has highlighted the serious need for more cost-effective counter-drone solutions.
MyDefence, an innovative tech company, has devised a radio-frequency jamming intervention tailored specifically to interrupting drone operations. Their device instantly identifies radio communication between drone and pilot. It then breaks that connection by emitting strong radio signals on the same frequency. According to Dan Hermansen, this method is effective against 80 to 90% of drones flown, making it a viable option for enhancing security measures.
Meanwhile in Sweden, the government has pledged to funnel more than $365 million (£275 million) into anti-drone systems. This investment provides state-of-the-art jamming technology. It further conducts operations to detect and neutralize hostile drone devices and engage hunter-killer drones for tracking and interception capabilities. Early detection is still one of our best lines of defense. Kasper Hallenborg emphasized, “Then you can probably take it down somewhere it’s more safe to do so,” highlighting the importance of identifying unauthorized drones before engaging them.
Even with the power of new technology, drone detection is extremely difficult. Andreas Graae is head of research at the Institute of Military Technology, Royal Danish Defence College. He noted, the small size and diverse materials of drones further complicate detection efforts. “They can be very small or really big, and are often produced from materials like plastic or fabrics that are very hard to detect on a traditional radar,” he explained.
The call for a comprehensive, more like air space management system for drones has been reiterated by a number of industry experts. Hallenborg suggested using the equivalent of electronic license plates for each drone, and making users pre-register their flights in advance. “Then we can quickly identify which drones are allowed to be there and those that aren’t,” he stated, emphasizing the potential for improved airspace security.
Recent reports from Poland underscored the dangers associated with falling rubble from exploded drones. Parts of these downed drones ricocheted off rooftops, sometimes causing significant damage. That fear only serves to bolster the need – in or out of our airspace – for safe and controlled ways to neutralize rogue drones. Graae remarked, “That’s a more secure way to neutralize the drone, because then you can actually control the landing.”
Poland and Romania have already experienced breaches of their airspace due to Russian drone operations. The importance of cooperation between European allies becomes paramount. We’re really excited to be working closely with Nordic Air Defence, Sweden and our partners. Jointly, they’re creating holistic approaches for identifying and mitigating the threat of potential drones.
Electronic warfare jamming of GPS signals from Ukraine’s frontlines. Such events illustrate that the future of combatting enemy drones has become a War on Cost Effectiveness. Graae noted, “It’s become a competition of how cheap you can actually make a drone attack, and how expensive it is to defend against.” The onus on defenders to develop low-cost, effective solutions is increasing as our opponents continue to take advantage of cheap drone technology.
MyDefence’s creative thinking and Sweden’s large-scale funding make for a positive story about a proactive response to new, promising developments in the changing world of aerial threats. As detection and neutralization technologies improve, the race against bad drone actors goes on.