A threat is looming over the West and it seems we are not ready to face it. The next terrorist attacks may be carried out using drones and this type of attack can be extremely deadly. The recent attacks suffered by Israel or the ones received by the United States Army in Yemen anticipate a new era in which terrorists will use this flying prodigy to inflict the greatest possible damage.
That’s why the US Technology companies and government agencies are racing to develop defenses against potential terrorist drone attacks, a threat that increasingly worries security experts who watch the rise of drone warfare in Israel, Ukraine and Yemen.
Last December, for example, Russia attacked a maternal and child hospital and shopping center in Dnipro (Ukraine), an apartment building in Odessa (southern Ukraine), and a metro station in the capital of Kyiv, with 36 drones. Houses in Lviv (West) and in numerous cities. They were civilian targets, so these actions can only be called terrorism.
Last October, Hamas used drones against Israel’s civilian population. At the same time, Hamas said it launched 35 al-Zawri kamikaze drones at targets in Israel. The al-Zawari (or Zouri) is a portable fixed-wing drone similar in size to the Russian Lancet, named after the Tunisian drone that killed Mohammed al-Zawari in 2016. Previously seen as a reconnaissance drone, the Zaveri is now suited for an offensive role.
According to this report published by NBC News, the drones used in the attacks are usually small drones that are very popular among amateurs. They are either armed with a small explosive that is dropped on the target, or they simply hit the target like a self-exploding, non-directional drone.
Dozens of technology companies are currently working on systems to thwart potential drone attacks, including in the United States, where targets could be civilian sites, according to academics and industry analysts.
Products under development in the drone defense field range from communications jamming equipment to experimental lasers to guns that shoot a rapidly expanding web. As NBC News points out, some of these products are undergoing Department of Homeland Security-sponsored testing at remote sites in Oklahoma and North Dakota, and analysts expect demand to grow rapidly, with potential customers including police departments, airports and sports stadiums.
Companies working on drone countermeasures range from major defense contractors like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to tech startups that produce “GPS spoofers” that convince drones they’re somewhere else. Other products rely on focused bursts of microwaves to fry the drone’s electronics or hacking tools to control its operation.
Anti-drone technology is known among sector insiders as unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS). Bard College researchers found in a 2019 report that there is already significant investment in this area, with 277 manufacturers working on some form of anti-drone countermeasures.
Some drone deterrents are already being deployed at European airports, at least to detect them, according to experts. The Federal Aviation Administration is also testing the systems at American airports: commercial airliners are perfect targets for terrorists, who can cause massive damage with a single attack.
The Department of Homeland Security has sought to accelerate production and prototype research, partnering with at least two universities — Oklahoma State and the University of North Dakota — to help evaluate various anti-drone countermeasures.
Last year, the Biden administration called on universities, private companies and other researchers to come up with new ideas to address the threat. The administration has also pushed to expand the law on who can legally shoot down drones, a power that under current law is generally limited to federal agents. The legislation is pending approval in Congress.
Although the specter of drone terrorism has existed for years, the wars in Israel, Ukraine and Yemen have added urgency by showing how technology has advanced. Are we in the West willing to suffer such an attack? It doesn’t seem so.
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