It is a persistent incoming, the “capable actor” who, according to the Danish police, continues to disrupt the airspace with unidentified drones. On Monday, the airport of Copenhagen closed for hours, Wednesday and Thursday that of Aalborg, which double as an air force base.
At Copenhagen, “two to four large drones” flew, according to the Danes “apparently operated by professionals.” But they didn’t say if it was about quadcopters – who can quickly move in three dimensions with four blades – or drones with wings. In any case, they were not hobby drones. It is not certain that Russia is behind the incidents, as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested. It is certain that Russia will murmur with drones and fighter aircraft on the external borders from other NATO member states.
Drones also cause damage without explosives. Closing national airports costs a lot of money and ensures feelings of insecurity and powerlessness. Such UFOs-previously active at Norwegian offshore platforms, above military bases, logistics nodes and energy installations in Germany, and at a nuclear power plant in Sweden-require countermeasures. And if countries want to protect their infrastructure, it is with “means they could otherwise send to Eastern Poland or Ukraine,” said air defense expert Peter Wijninga this week News hour. According to him, it would be a plausible Russian strategy.
Drones are so viewed ‘asymmetrical warfare’, in which an opponent with simple means keeps the opposing party on the wrong track.
What can you do about it? DRONES – Umbrella for a colorful aviary Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) – can pop up anywhere. And it is impossible to permanently secure every criticism of object. “In the field of C-Uas [dronebestrijding; de ‘C’ staat voor ‘counter’] Should the West still catch up, “says Heiko van der Linden, director of Arctus Technologies from Son and Breugel, that is building drone components.” You shouldn’t think that someone with such a drone flies into the engine of a starting plane. ”
Drones zapping
Within the armed forces of NATO countries, the development of the fight against drone is now gaining momentum. The ultimate weapon in this area, the HoogeGielaser Those drones (and even rockets) from the sky can zap, will probably be operational within five years.
For applications in civil airspace, although much experimentation is made and developed in the Netherlands – with support from an innovation fund of 100 million euros – few resources have already been drawn up. And there are still many questions about the command.
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Exception: Schiphol, Rotterdam-The Hague Airport and military airports, where a no-fly zone For drones applies, working with equipment from The Hague Robin Radar Systemsfounded in 2010 as a spin-off from TNO. The technology, reach of up to twelve kilometers, has been developed to protect aircraft against bird investigations, but can also detect drones – small, fast and with low visibility for (normal) radar.
But there is no weapon attached to that radar at Schiphol. Possible countermeasures after such a detection are therefore limited: aircraft are warned and the (airport) police are trying to find the driver of the drone-so far usually a hobbydrone. And just like in Copenhagen, Schiphol could close jobs.
Special gun
Painting such a drone is quite possible in itself, says Matthijs Otten, founder and director of Tectivea Delft company that specializes in reconnaissance missions with gene -network drones. “From the ground a powerful bundle of electromagnetic radiation with a special gun on a drone is a proven concept. But it only works at a short distance, a few hundred meters, so you have to have people who patrol with such a weapon around an airport. And if a drone has no lights, it becomes difficult at night.”
Drawing drone can also be from the air. So developed Angard MicrowaveA spin-off from Twente University and TNO, with the support of Defense a drone that can ‘fry’ the electronics of an enemy drone with microwaves.
A second method is called “kinetic”; Turn off a drone with another drone. So built Delft Dynamics Ten years ago the drone catcher: a drone that throws a net over an enemy drone like a Roman gladiator.
“Recent incidents provide a lot of new attention,” says director Arnout de Jong. His company is busy automating Dronecatcher.
According to him, the new Bastainterceptor. That is a small drone that maneuvers autonomously to the target and plunges on it at high speed.
“Some modesty is in place,” says De Jong. “Choices will have to be made about which objects we do and do not protect.” Also for financial reasons. A drone catcher costs at least 50,000 euros, and “it will be the art of keeping the basta below 10,000 euros”.
Apart from that, ‘anti-drones’ must also be legally integrated into air traffic.
Shout
Because drones in civil airspace are radiographically controlled, such a connection can be detected and disturbed. A series of companies is concerned with jamming: “Shouting very loudly on the same wavelength,” says Delft Dynamics director De Jong.
To pick up such a fairly weak connection over a larger area, a dense network of sensors and antennas is required. There is such a thing to do around Schiphol, but not for a huge industrial area such as Europoort. And if they are controlled via a delicate glass fiber wire, such as at the front in Ukraine, drones are immune to Jamming.
Russia and Ukraine now even use each other’s mobile telephone network to lead drones to their goal. A drone with a Dutch SIM card can then be operated from all over the world. “It’s the new arms race,” says De Jong.
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