Thales presents a new solution to protect sensitive sites from malevolent drone usage
November 19, 2019 - Drone traffic in civil airspace has increased significantly in recent years. Since there is always a possibility that these unmanned aircraft could be used for malevolent purposes, effective countermeasures need to be available to protect citizens and critical infrastructure.
To address the growing threat of malevolent drone usage, Thales has developed a unique fully integrated drone countermeasures solution designed to detect, identify, track and neutralise drones flying in civil airspace in order to protect sensitive sites such as airports, sports arenas, critical infrastructure and large-scale events in urban areas.
The Gamekeeper holographic radar, the only radar on the market to provide full 3D coverage of airspace surveillance over 90° sector, identifies and tracks all types of air platforms flying at low altitude and medium speed within a radius of 7 km. Complementing the radar, infrared and radiofrequency sensors refine the system's threat identification and classification performance, using sophisticated real-time data fusion techniques to determine the exact type of unmanned aircraft involved.
The solution EagleSHIELD offers operators a clear, simplified view of the situation to protect the airspace in real time, and provides the security services and armed forces with a comprehensive, cohesive vision of the airspace.
Fully integrated with these surveillance capabilities, a variety of drone countermeasures are available to provide a proportional response to the threat depending on the operational context. If the existence of a threat is confirmed, Thales can incorporate a range of technical solutions, including electromagnetic signal jamming, interception by a swarm of drones and directed energy weapons, to neutralise the rogue drone.
Over the last seven years, Thales has invested heavily in the four key digital technologies of artificial intelligence, Big Data, connectivity and cybersecurity. The company is leveraging those investments today to bring citizens the benefits of commercial drones while countering the threats associated with the malevolent use of unmanned aircraft in civil airspace.
"The EagleSHIELD solution from Thales helps customers deal efficiently with drone incursions in the complex environments around critical infrastructure and sensitive sites so they can assess the situation and make the best decisions in a matter of seconds." Thomas Got, Thales Vice President, integrated airspace protection.
