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0 pointsFinnKuhn4mo ago0 comments

How do you expect to shoot them down? They are small and very quick and disappear shortly after appearing.

0 comments

If they're detectable they can be targeted; counter-drones for sure (which are also very fast), and there's automated rifle targeting systems specifically designed to target and shoot down drones (e.g. https://www.smart-shooter.com/). I'm confident that a system of automated turrets on and around an airbase could be set up. If shooting a gun near civilians is an issue, these don't even need to shoot bullets.

But of course, electronic countermeasures / jamming should be attempted first, so they can be recovered intact and traced.

FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

I think the issue is that you can't really use counter-drones or automatic weapon systems at an airport due to the threat they pose to the airports operations (automatic rifle systems at civilian airports, which are the ones targeted, wouldn't fly in Germany).

The same is true for jamming, which sounds like a bad idea at an active airport, although targetted jamming will probably work. Not sure how quickly such a system can be deployed however.

So that means you need to wait until operations have paused at which point the drone has already disappeared.

I fell like tracking the drone to identify the operator with strong zoom cameras mounted on the airport might work though. At least some commercial systems seem to use this approach: https://www.dedrone.com/industry/airports

infecto4mo ago

Jammers work pretty well. I would expect most large airports would have a defense response. They would have the tools setup to one instantly identify and track said drones come within the space and two have the tools like the portable jammers to “shoot” it down. These tools are not that expensive and exist from multiple vendors.

I would have expected this to be table stakes at running large busy airports.

slightwinder4mo ago

> Jammers work pretty well.

On publics airports? Where planes have to land all the time? Can they be pinpointed exactly on one specific target without disturbing the others? And this is assuming there even is a remote-control to jam.

infecto4mo ago

Yup. At least in the prior case this year the airports all shutdown. I see no reason you should not be able to quickly react to a scenario like this? Most European airports have some sort of federal response in or near the airport anyway. Not that big leap to think you should be able to jump on it.

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FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

How quickly can you deploy a portable jammer? The drone might have disappeared until you have done so already. So you definitelly need automated systems for detection and targetting, which will probably take time until they are widely available.

infecto4mo ago

They make hand helds that can be used without human LOS with something like 3km range. You don’t definitely need automated systems but obviously that would be probably more bullet proof.

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jiehong4mo ago

Stand-by drone-intercepting drones?

Tracking them is a need first and foremost. How about a down-facing radar on top of the Aviation Control Tower?

FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

I think the issue is response time.

Once a drone has been spotted notifying the correct person and getting the drone started would take a few minutes I assume.

Furthermore you can't really deploy a drone at an airport while it is still active, which is the reason they are banned from operating there in the first place.

jiehong4mo ago

I was about to counter your first part with automatic detection and drone launching, but your second point makes sense.

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red-iron-pine4mo ago

if the downward facing radar sees them then it's already too late -- that drone gonna hit something or it's dropped its payload.

a couple of RPG sized rounds dropped from 10000 ft up could easily close runways and shutdown an airport for hours. hell just being there and being UFO could lead to all sorts of flight re-routing and chaos

asplake4mo ago

Payload? You don’t need actual explosives to cause disruption, and for a state-sponsored actor to use them would be an act of war. The perfect being the enemy of the good here, provisioning for less hostile cases seems eminently sensible.

tokai4mo ago

And in many cases its simply not legal to start shooting at unidentified drones in an urban environment.

prennert4mo ago

This is not an issue for the Government though. They can change the laws. That takes time and due process of course. But thats what the German government is doing [0]

[0]: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/gesetzgebungsverfahren/DE...

tim3334mo ago

You could just go up in a light aircraft with a shot gun?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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Cthulhu_4mo ago

But of course, electronic countermeasures / jamming should be attempted first, so they can be recovered intact and traced.

FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

The same is true for jamming, which sounds like a bad idea at an active airport, although targetted jamming will probably work. Not sure how quickly such a system can be deployed however.

So that means you need to wait until operations have paused at which point the drone has already disappeared.

infecto4mo ago

I would have expected this to be table stakes at running large busy airports.

slightwinder4mo ago

> Jammers work pretty well.

infecto4mo ago

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FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

infecto4mo ago

They make hand helds that can be used without human LOS with something like 3km range. You don’t definitely need automated systems but obviously that would be probably more bullet proof.

1 more reply

jiehong4mo ago

Stand-by drone-intercepting drones?

Tracking them is a need first and foremost. How about a down-facing radar on top of the Aviation Control Tower?

FinnKuhnOP4mo ago

I think the issue is response time.

Once a drone has been spotted notifying the correct person and getting the drone started would take a few minutes I assume.

Furthermore you can't really deploy a drone at an airport while it is still active, which is the reason they are banned from operating there in the first place.

jiehong4mo ago

I was about to counter your first part with automatic detection and drone launching, but your second point makes sense.

1 more reply

red-iron-pine4mo ago

if the downward facing radar sees them then it's already too late -- that drone gonna hit something or it's dropped its payload.

asplake4mo ago

tokai4mo ago

And in many cases its simply not legal to start shooting at unidentified drones in an urban environment.

prennert4mo ago

This is not an issue for the Government though. They can change the laws. That takes time and due process of course. But thats what the German government is doing [0]

[0]: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/gesetzgebungsverfahren/DE...

tim3334mo ago

You could just go up in a light aircraft with a shot gun?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse