In recent developments, the National Counter Rogue Drone Guidelines were finalized by the Indian government and are set to manage the growing threats posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This decision stems from an escalating number of safety incidents worldwide that involve drones, including those that happened in India. A particularly alarming incident was the drone-targeting of VVIPs in Venezuela and the drone attack on Saudi Aramco, which serves as a striking reminder of the possible threats from rogue drones. It is estimated that India has over 600,000 rogue or unregulated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of varied sizes and capacities.
The Ministry’s Counter-Rogue Drone Deployment Plan
Addressing this scenario, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed a counter-rogue drone deployment plan divided into three categories based on the sensitivity of crucial assets and installations. These strategic sites vary from state to state and by location, depending on the geographical circumstance, criticality, and construction type.
Model Types
Standard categorization includes the following:
1. The Full-scale model aims to protect assets of critical national importance such as the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, nuclear installations, major airports, among others. Primary and passive detection means like radar, Radio Frequency (RF) detectors, electro-optical, and infrared cameras will be installed under the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS).
2. The Mid-segment model targets to protect installations like metro airports, oil refineries, ports, and power plants. It will utilize a lower level of threat mitigation techniques in comparison to the full-scale model under the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS).
3. The Basic model seeks to safeguard state secretariats, significant official premises, and monuments of national importance using basic threat mitigation technology.
A realistic vulnerability analysis of vital areas will be conducted by specialist security agencies based on impact assessments from different drone categories, natural camouflage, and local security scenarios. This survey will aid in creating the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS).
Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Weapons
The Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) includes various modern weapons such as:
- The Sky Fence designed to block lethal drones using an array of signal disruptors to jam flight paths and prevent entry into their target.
- The Drone Gun capable of jamming the radio, global positioning system (GPS), and mobile signals between the drone and their pilot, forcing the drone to land before any potential damage is caused.
- Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) that works by firing a high energy laser beam on a rogue drone, resulting in its complete destruction in the air.
- The Drone Catcher, which swiftly approaches an enemy drone and captures it by throwing a net around it.
- Skywall 100, a ground version of the ‘drone catcher’ that brings down a UAV by launching a parachute through a net from 100 meters distance.
| Weapon | Function |
|---|---|
| Sky Fence | Disrupts and jams flight path of lethal drones |
| Drone Gun | Jams communication signals between drone and pilot |
| ATHENA | Destroys rogue drones with high energy laser beams |
| Drone Catcher | Captures enemy drones safely using a net |
| Skywall 100 | Ground-based system that brings down a UAV by launching a parachute |
Legal Procedure for Rogue Drones
Apart from the deployment models, the civil aviation ministry suggests a set of legal procedures to deal with rogue drones. Legislation should address risk-based usage of Counter-UAS authority and encourage coordination among relevant departments and agencies. It should also seek to minimize the negative impacts of anti-drone guidelines on safety, efficiency, and Indian airspace access while establishing a legal framework for authorized use of C-UAS systems.
Radio Frequency (RF)
Radio Frequency refers to electromagnetic radio waves in the range of 3 kHz to 300 GHz, as well as alternating currents carrying the radio signals. Used in wireless communications transmission and broadcasting, the frequency band is divided into different parts assigned to various technology industries, known as the radio spectrum. The Very High Frequency(VHF) band, ranging from 30-300 MHz, is used for FM radio, TV broadcasts, and amateur radio along with its counterparts.
