Drone incidents are on the rise. However, most of these incursions were at the hands of drone hobbyists who negligently flew a drone into no-flight zones, coming dangerously close to colliding with aircraft or using drones to take capture images or video of buildings and celebrities illegally.
There have already been several drone incidents at public events, from the assassination attack on the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro deploying two armed drones, President Myrtle’s close in counter at an outdoor event and during the European Football Championships in Belgrade. Homeland Security officials are aware that it is only a matter of time before criminal or terrorist organisations further their agenda by a drone attack at sports events such as the World Cup or Olympic Games.
As the market for commercial drones for deliveries, aerial mapping and monitoring grow in urban environments and inner cities, our skies will become more congested. Without an effective drone traffic management system that can differentiate between friend or foe, this will open the door for malicious drone activity.
With the aid of non-state actors, terrorist groups can leverage evolving drone technologies integrating them with AI technologies, encrypted communications, coupling these capabilities with the readily available information on the internet and dark web to create deadlier weaponised drones. The world has already seen biological attacks used on the general population. The use of drone swarms carrying weaponised payloads or chemical agents to carry out multiple attacks in parallel is not a scenario from a futuristic movie; it is a present and imminent threat.
Until drone regulations become aligned with the growing threats to public safety and homeland security, regulatory authorities permit the use of non-transmitting counter-drone systems to protect the majority of public facilities and stadiums.
One of SKYLOCK’S core values and unique differentiator is our flexibility. SKYLOCK designs and continues to develop and incorporate next-generation counter drone technologies. Our modular solution portfolio comprises; multi-range fixed and mobile RF Detectors, drone jamming solutions and advanced non-transmitting and non-kinetic neutralisation systems to ensure comprehensive protection of public areas and events.
