Page 12 - Flipmag-01

Playing Defense

Uncertain Regulations Stall the Implementation of

Counter-UAS Technology in The U.S.
n early September 2019, a radical environmentalist group called “Heathrow Pause”
threatened to shut down Heathrow Airport in the UK by flying drones within
I Ithe airport’s no-fly zone to call attention to climate change. Some
Heathrow Pause members were arrested the day before their previ-
ously announced fly-date (9/13) and on the day itself their
drones were unable to take off, electronically jammed by
the authorities.
The protest represents a new wrinkle in the
fast-moving world of unmanned aircraft sys-
tems (UAS) use and integration. As previ-
ous drone-induced airport disruptions
at Heathrow and Gatwick in the UK
and at Newark Airport, New Jer-
sey in the U.S. demonstrate,
society will need to prevent
as well as facilitate drone
use in daily life.
The recognition
has kick-started
a counter-UAS
(CUAS) indus-
try that’s now
trying to
market
itself to
civilian

A rendering showing potential
SkyDome AI protection of the city
of Dubai, facilitated by Fortem’s
networked TrueView radar.
(Fortem Technologies)

10 www.aerodefensetech.com Aerospace & Defense Technology, May 2020