Radio Frequency Drone Monitoring and Detection Protects National Infrastructure
Unmanned aerial systems, commonly referred to as “drones,” are transforming many aspects of modern society. While their widespread use brings benefits to certain industries – including medicine delivery to remote communities, disaster relief, aerial photography and broadcast media – drones also pose significant risks to air traffic control, security, police and intelligence activities, and military operations. Real-life scenarios include:
- Drones flown in close proximity to an airport, resulting in airport closure, passenger inconvenience and revenue loss.
- Drones used to smuggle drugs, weapons and other contraband to dealers and into prisons.
- Drones routinely used by terrorist organizations to spy or drop bombs on civilians, security personnel and opposing forces.
If the use of drones or remote-controlled model aircraft go unrestricted, society faces substantial safety and security challenges. At first glance, small drones may appear harmless, but their low cost, availability and versatility mean they can be used to cause severe damage to infrastructure and human life – whether unintended or deliberate.
To combat these security issues, TCI employed its 50 years of experience in radio frequency (RF) signal interception, classification and geolocation to develop an innovative solution, the TCI Integrated Drone Detection and Geolocation System. The TCI Drone Detection System detects and locates drones and their controllers and is available in multiple configurations for fixed, transportable and mobile deployments.
TCI’s solution delivers fully automated detection of drones and controllers. First, it scans the RF spectrum for the presence of drones and their controllers. When a drone or controller is detected, the system pinpoints the targets using multiple geolocation technologies and alerts the user. In addition to selecting between fixed, transportable or mobile deployment options, the user can choose to operate the TCI system interactively or automatically. The system has recently been purchased by several U.S. government agencies and is being used to protect critical assets and major event venues across the US.
