by Ariel Whitman
After repeated drone sightings bring second-largest U.K. airport to halt for 36-hours, British media highlight Israeli technology's role in solving crisis
Gatwick airport, Britain's
second-largest, suspended flights for more than 36 hours last week due
to repeated drone sightings, but thanks to Israeli technology its
operations resumed over the weekend.
According to the Daily
Mail, British troops that were deployed at the airport used "a
cutting-edge Israeli anti-drone system to defeat the unmanned aerial
vehicle" manufactured by the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. According
to the site, the system essentially takes over the drone's operation and
is already in use by British troops in the Middle East.
The system comprises a
"high-tech radar and a laser rangefinder to locate drones," the Daily
Mail reported. "Once the system has a lock on the drone, a radio
frequency jammer is then used to overload the drone with signals -
knocking out the commands from the unknown owner."
One of the Israeli
companies that helped develop similar technology for nonmilitary use is
Convexum, which is Latin for dome. Convexum co-founder and CEO Gilad
Sahar told Israel Hayom: "We have a product that lets you take over
drones that fly in urban areas so that they can be landed safely and in a
pre-determined area. This tackles the immediate drone nuisance but also
ensures it does not inflict harm, which is critical." According to
Sahar the police snipers at Gatwick Airport could have shot down the
drones but chose not to, fearing its unknown payload could explode or
otherwise harm nearby aircraft.
British authorities
detained a couple that lives close to the airport in connection with the
drone sightings. The police said they may be charged for "criminal use
of drones." Convexum has three layers of defense against drones:
detection of the UAVs while airborne or on the ground; neutralizing UAVs
on the ground; and taking over of UAVs while airborne.
Convexum's other co-founder
is Niv Magen. Both he and Sahar served in the IDF Intelligence Corps's
elite signal intelligence unit, Unit 8200. The company has not revealed
where its products are in use.
Ariel Whitman
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/12/23/israeli-anti-drone-technology-comes-to-forefront-as-gatwick-chaos-ends/
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