Aerospace & Defense Technology - April 2024 - 20

Counter UAS Technology
drone identification. The skies are becoming
crowded with authorized drones that
play a critical role in society and RF-Cyber
C-UAS systems bring the advantage of
distinguishing between authorized and
unauthorized drones.
RF-Cyber technology can address a
wide range of commercial and Do-It-Yourself
drone threats of all levels. These threats
can encompass commercial, long-range,
high payload, advanced protocol drones,
and simpler Wi-Fi-based drones. The primary
focus of course is aimed at drones that
can carry heavy payloads, travel long distances,
and are easily accessible.
The latest versions of the new generThe
RF-Cyber takeover system supplied by D-Fend Solutions as pictured here can be set up in a wide range
of locations for long-range directional CUAS operations. (Image: D-Fend Solutions)
rogue drone and then guiding it to follow
a safe route to land with continuity,
meaning no communications or operational
disruptions or stoppages, and no
collateral damage.
RF-Cyber has emerged as a new genThe
RF-Cyber takeover system deployed at a military
base. (Image: D-Fend Solutions)
projectile itself or from falling debris after
a hit, with the dangers varying depending
on the employed technology.
A Next-Generation RF-Cyber
Approach
Today's sensitive civilian environments
require a next-generation approach to
achieve more positive outcomes. This
means fast and accurate detection without
false positives and safe mitigation.
This starts with a surgical takeover of the
20
eration technology that uses RF techniques
to take control of threatening
drone scenarios. This includes employing
cyber techniques to detect and take
control of the hostile drone and landing
it safely in a pre-designated zone. This
non-jamming, non-kinetic, no line of
sight required approach executes the
mitigation without any traditional air
defense technology drawbacks.
RF-Cyber technology capabilities
aimed at control and safety occur at all
stages of the lifecycle of a rogue drone
incident. The technology will first detect
the unauthorized drone, activate an
alert, and then start to locate and track
the drone and its take-off and pilot position.
The drone's key characteristics are
identified. Finally, in either manual or
autonomous mode, the system can either
activate a " fend-off " , causing the hostile
drone to go to its fail-safe position of
returning to its home, or hover in place.
Or, alternatively, the system can take control
and land the drone in a safe place.
Systems must determine whether
detected drones are authorized and
friendly, or unauthorized and hostile.
This places more importance on detailed
mobilityengineeringtech.com
ation RF-Cyber technology also bring
high operational flexibility and adaptability
through multiple deployment
configurations including permanent
stationary fixtures for sites such as critical
infrastructure or prisons, tactical
configurations on tripods for on-themove
operations, mobile vehicular configurations
to provide moving bubbles of
protection on military or covert civilian
vehicles, long-range directional configurations
to protect environments like air
corridors or borders, and even man portable
backpack versions to protect areas
reachable only by foot.
To cover vast areas, RF-Cyber systems
can come with their own command and
control systems. This allows them to provide
shared knowledge and show a single
aggregated view across multiple sensors,
in which mitigation could be executed
by the optimally situated sensor and
triggered by operations provided by the
command-and-control center. Alternatively,
RF-cyber systems can be integrated
within a larger multiple-technology
layered defense system.
Open Architecture for Multi-Layered
Defense
To integrate in such a multi-layered
defense and with such external control
systems, and to complement other
technologies, RF-Cyber systems should
have open APIs to integrate with various
governmental command and control
systems and support the ability to partner
and integrate with various defense
systems to support defined operational
requirements. With continuous software-driven
system updates, RF-Cyber
Aerospace & Defense Technology, April 2024

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Aerospace & Defense Technology - April 2024

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