New law to help police combat drone dangers
Drone-jamming powers are to be granted to police to help prevent terror or other attacks on “at-risk” events or critical infrastructure and criminals smuggling drugs into prisons.
A Home Office Bill will grant police powers to use electronic jammers to target drones, blocking their guidance systems or links to controllers, and preventing cameras from streaming back video footage.
At present, police must apply to the Home Office to use hi-tech jamming equipment for one-off emergencies.
The move follows the chaos at Gatwick Airport at Christmas 2018, when rogue drones forced the cancellation of thousands of holidaymakers’ flights.
Ministers are concerned that the law is out of date and have commissioned trials of jamming technology to establish how it could be safely deployed.
“There is a Bill coming that is specifically aimed at drone-jamming technology not only for prisons but also for what are deemed ‘at risk’ events,” said a source. It follows trials of an electronic
“fence” at Guernsey prison using jamming technology that has successfully prevented any drug-smuggling drones crossing the perimeter during the two years of its operation.
The low-powered invisible “fence” disables drones that attempt to fly in but does not affect any other electronic devices in the prison or any people in neighbouring houses.
Rick Gill, founder of Drone Defence, which developed the technology, said jamming was akin to blasting a drone with loud music which prevented it communicating with its controller.
The “fence” was backed up by more powerful directional jamming equipment that could be targeted at any drones that managed to breach it.
Mr Gill said the technology could be deployed at airports but further trials were needed because of the sensitivity of other communications equipment.
“The amount of physical damage that a drone could cause is quite limited because of the low payload but the psychological impact of doing something is significant and would encourage copycat attacks,” said Mr Gill.
“It has been deployed by terrorist organisations in the Middle East. Its deployment elsewhere is only a matter of time,” he added.
In August 2018, two drones detonated explosives in Venezuela, in what
‘It has been deployed by terrorists in the Middle East. Deployment elsewhere is only a matter of time’
the government claimed was an attempted assassination of the president.
The Home Office is setting up a mobile special unit to bring down drones. Police will also get stop and search powers and will be able to request a remote pilot land an unmanned aircraft.
A Government spokesman said: “We’re alive to the dangers posed by careless or malicious use of the technology. Work continues apace to tackle this threat.”