Counter-UAV defence system unveiled

An anti-UAV defence system (AUDS) was showcased at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow.

The AUDS system is designed for countering UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), or drones as they are more commonly known, in remote border areas, at key infrastructure sites such as airports, air fields, nuclear power stations and oil refineries, or for protecting political, sporting or VIP events in urban areas.

It is said to be the world’s first fully-integrated detect-track-disrupt-defeat counter-UAV system that can detect a drone six miles (10km) away using electronic scanning radar, track it using precision infrared and daylight cameras and specialist video tracking software, before disrupting the flight using an inhibitor to block the radio signals that control it.

This detect, track, disrupt and defeat process is very quick and typically takes eight to15 seconds. Using AUDS, the operator can effectively take control of a drone and force a safe landing or send it back home.

It can be operated from fixed locations and from mobile platforms.

The team behind AUDS – Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics, Enterprise Control Systems and Liteye Systems – has now carried out more than 400 hours of ‘live’ testing in government-related trials against more than 400 flown sorties of UAVs.

AUDS spokesperson Mark Radford said: “The threat from small, commercially available UAVs is high and AUDS has been specifically designed, fully tested and is production ready to deal with the problem. Not only can it detect, track, disrupt and defeat drones, it can also provide vital evidence for subsequent criminal charges.”