One Uses High-Powered Radio Waves To Jam Control Signals, Disable Aircraft

A trio of British companies exhibited an anti-UAV device that uses RF energy to disable the unmanned aircraft at an unmanned aerial vehicle trade show last week. The device was being marketed to governments and airports at the Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Expo in Las Vegas, according to the U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

The device is being distributed in the U.S. by Colorado tech company Liteye Systems. The company's executive vice president Rick Sondag told The Guardian "if I can see it, I can kill it."

In a news release announcing the device in May, the trio of companies what developed Anti UAV Defense System (AUDS) ...  Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Enterprise Control Systems ... said the system is designed to combat the growing threat of malicious micro, mini and larger unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones.

The Anti-UAV Defence System (AUDS) integrates the Blighter A400 Series Ku band electronic scanning air security radar, Chess Dynamics' stabilized electro-optic director, infrared and daylight cameras and target tracking software, and a directional radio frequency (RF) inhibitor/jammer system from Enterprise Control Systems to detect, track, classify, disrupt and neutralise UAVs at ranges of up to 8 km (approx. 5 miles). The AUDS system is even effective against so-called Group 1 micro UAVs at ranges of up to 2 km and Group 1 mini UAVs at ranges of several kms.

"We formed the all-British AUDS team in 2014 as we were each acutely aware of the urgent operational requirement from our customers for an effective and affordable anti-UAV system," said Mark Radford, CEO, Blighter Surveillance Systems, in the news release. "Working in partnership, we have developed some clever technology (patents are pending) that integrates the different sensors, effector and electro-mechanical positioning systems to disrupt and bring down any malicious drone in a phased and controlled manner."

According to the AUDS team, the technology has been extensively tested in South Korea along the 250km demilitarised zone (DMZ), where Blighter radars have been deployed for some years. In March 2015, the AUDS team took part in multi-supplier French Government trials in Captieux, France, where its counter UAV system proved highly successful in detecting and neutralising a variety of fixed and rotary wing micro, compact and standard UAVs. And last week, the system also performed well in UK Government sponsored counter UAV trials (known as Bristow 15) in West Freugh, Scotland.

Also at the trade show, Boeing is exhibiting a laser-based anti-UAV system that uses directed energy to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles. Boeing said in August that the system recently reached a milestone at an exercise at Point Mugu, CA. by tracking and disabling a moving, untethered unmanned aerial vehicle. The Compact Laser Weapons System is portable and can set up quickly.

(Top image included with Blighter Surveillance Systems news release. Bottom image from Boeing video)

FMI: www.expouav.com