As drone technology advances, the use of autonomous and pre-programmed drones to carry out unauthorised surveillance missions or large-scale attacks is on the rise. Despite implementing regulations to restrict the use of drones, height and flight restrictions, the challenge lies in enforcing the regulations. Unauthorised drones pose a clear threat to an array of critical infrastructure sectors that, if targeted, their incapacitation could debilitate national security, economics, and public safety and health:
- Chemical Plants
- Energy & power
- Oil Refineries
- Financial Services
- Military Bases
- Government Facilities
- Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
- Transportation Systems
- Water and Wastewater Systems
Previously, protecting critical infrastructures and strategic sites using traditional security measures such as radar systems, perimeter fences, motion sensors, CCTV, access control systems, and mobile patrol units was relatively simple. However, drone technology has changed the security paradigm, transforming the security landscape into a 3-dimensional environment, rendering prevailing ground plane security measures redundant.
Sophisticated drones flying at high speed in low altitudes are hard to detect, challenging critical infrastructure security.
Commercial off-the-shelf drones’ sophistication and ability to carry large payloads continue to advance, making critical infrastructure vulnerable to attack or unwanted incursion.
Damage to Critical Infrastructures
The drone attack on the Riyadh oil refinery highlighted the need for critical infrastructures to implement counter drone counter-measures to secure their perimeters from aerial attacks and prevent large-scale damage.
Perimeter Intrusion:
Crossing a secure perimeter to enter a facility’s airspace is an escalation that must be monitored and potentially mitigated according to legal regulations. While an accidental incursion may occasionally happen, this could represent a criminal act that requires intervention and a fully documented evidence trail.
Surveillance:
An ISR drone flown over a critical perimeter can easily capture sensitive information, from materials delivery and shift changes to car park counts and security patrol schedules. Sensitive information gathering poses a fundamental risk on its own but may also be a precursor to further escalation after identifying targets and mapping out security capabilities.
SKYLOCK integrates a wide array of counter-UAV technologies offering comprehensive protection of critical infrastructures and sensitive assets and sites. Our modular platforms provide passive and active counter drone systems for detecting, verifying, and neutralising unauthorised pre-programmed drones and drone swarms.
We have developed a modular, scalable concept for the protection of critical sites; each solution is customised based on the site’s threats and operational requirements to provide the optimum solution.
