Police update - developments in counter drones technology
The following is sent on behalf of Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth, National Coordinator Protect and Prepare.
Recent high-profile drone misuse has resulted in a number of orangisations seeking advice about counter-drones (CUAS) tehnology and, in some case, purchase equipment and services.
The govenment responsee to these incidents has been to invest resources into a new 'drones team' and develop a programme of work that will include CUAS. This is high-priority work and will undoubtedly result in quick outcomes.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastucture (CPNI) provides advice to critical national infrastructure and has an oigoing programme that looks at evaluating security equipment for use in those environments. CPNI has been working with industry to develop counter drone technology and has created a new counter drone technology standard. It will shortly be evaluating products against this standard. This will help provide a common goal between industry, the critical national infastructure and Government.
CPNI hosted an industry engagement day on Wednesday 23rd January 2019 in Central London for the manufacturers of UAS detection tehnologeis. CPNI will use this opportunity to inform the industry of the developments in the UAS detection tehnology programme, explain the approach to testing and evaluating products and outline opportunities to engage with CPNI.
We would recommend that orgainisations considering the purchse of CUAS capabilities and services consdier this ongoing work. it is important that capability and services are able to be validated in terms of effectiveness and legality, and government's work will help define this.
More general advice on protective security can be found on the CPNI website and for those who have access to the extrante, there is detaile dadvice on CUAS.
https://www.cpni.gov.uk/counter-unmanned-aerial-vehicles
https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft/Our-role/Updates-about-drones/