UK Police Deploy Drone-Jamming Technology at Major Public Events

British police are planning to use sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detection and jamming technology at major public events at risk of terrorist attack.

The Anti-UAV Defence System (AUDS) was trialed in London during the Remembrance Day ceremonies on 11 November 2015. The London Metropolitan Police reportedly “really liked” the performance of the system.

The AUDS uses cameras to track UAVs, and if the need arises, can within 15 seconds jam the radio signals used to control them.

 “What is reassuring is that this is the security forces getting ahead of the game, so they have defensive measures in place before something actually happens,” said Elizabeth Quintana, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a British defence and security think-tank.

Over the last few months concerns have been raised by security specialists that terrorists could employ explosive laden UAVs to attack crowds. ISIS is likely to have already tested the carrying capacity of several drones to find out how much explosives they can carry, and even experimented with detonation devices.

“There is a genuine threat from Islamists wishing to deliver high explosives by drone to crowded areas – the effects could be devastating,” Col Richard Kemp, who has advised the UK Government on terrorism, told The Mirror.

While promising, this solution is not foolproof. Advanced UAVs, of the sort terrorists are likely trying to acquire, can fly and perform missions semi- and fully-autonomously. Further, with some modification UAVs can be made to communicate on frequencies not targeted by the jammer.

To properly ensure that no radio communication with drones is taking place, police would have to jam communications across all radio frequencies. This could have far-reaching unintended consequences, with large masses of people losing all ability to use phones and communicate.

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