Drones were still a rare "object" during the Gulf War! Today, however, this equipment has almost dominated the entire war. Take the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Two "peripheral" countries whose names you might not know if it weren't for the war have already used military drones so thoroughly! Armed reconnaissance, combating tanks, destroying fortifications, special operations, etc. have all been used "arbitrarily" in this conflict. The key point is that the price of this equipment is quite cheap, and a small country like this can also afford it! Then we can imagine what the future wars will look like if conflicts break out among the real military powers

The drone war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is continuing

The master of the future battlefield "drone"Take the United States as an example. From 2002 to 2010, the number of drones increased by 40 times. In 2010 alone, the number of US military drones exceeded 11,000 (large, medium, small, and micro drones). All models are included). By 2018, the number of medium and heavy duty drones of more than 20 kg equipped by the U.S. military reached about 3,500. Although most of the tasks performed by these UAVs are mainly air reconnaissance, there are still about 1,000 The aircraft can carry weapons and can perform various strike missions. At the same time, the U.S. military will continue to expand this drone team in the future, and the corresponding budget is also rising year by year. At present, the annual investment for drones is close to tens of billions of dollars!

Several representative military drones equipped by the United States

Of course, the United States is just a microcosm. At present, all countries in the world are vigorously developing UAV units, and the scale is also very large. This equipment has quickly become the protagonist of the battlefield due to its high safety, high cost performance, various tasks, easy use, and flexibility. Reconnaissance, attack, surveillance, electronic countermeasures, communication relay, logistical support, search and rescue, and guidance are all its special skills. The personnel only need to sit in the remote control room to control everything on the battlefield.

Some people predict that the future war will be the world of unmanned weapons and intelligent equipment!

The "spear" (drone) is too sharp, and the shield is ready to emerge

Judging from the recent local conflicts, this statement is undoubtedly correct. Intelligent, information-based drones have gradually dominated the battlefield, and in its eyes there is almost nothing impossible! Of course, an emerging technology that is also rising rapidly, that is,anti drone device . The so-called "a spear must also have a shield", any powerful weapon will have equipment that is restrained. Although drones can "call the wind and rain" on the battlefield, countries are also vigorously promoting restraint in other countries while equipping them. Anti-drone technology for drones.

Ground personnel are aiming the drone

The current development of UAVs is actually still in its infancy, and there is still a certain gap between the AI UAVs that are equipped with artificial intelligence, which can independently perform battlefield intelligence analysis and judgment, and make correct and reasonable responses. The vast majority of drones still rely on remote wireless control to complete operations, so this is the biggest shortcoming of drones at this stage. Once the controller is knocked out, the drones controlled by it will instantly become a bunch of drones. Scrap!
Directly hitting the operator, this kind of anti-drone technology of "drawing money from the bottom" should be regarded as the most effective way to counter drone attacks, but it is also the most difficult and complex technology!

Conventional mainstream anti-drone technology
The current mainstream anti-UAV technologies developed by various countries mainly include:
Audio detection: Early warning is provided by monitoring the special sound emitted by the drone! Especially propeller drones, but this method is only suitable for use in open areas, it is difficult to function in high-noise areas like cities!

Audio detection

Jammer: Use the strong electromagnetic interference released by the jammer to block the data connection between the drone and the operator. This equipment can be fixed or mobile, but its working range is limited and requires a lot of energy!

Jammer

Radar technology: In fact, this technology can only have a relatively good effect on large-scale UAVs, such as small and micro UAVs flying at low altitudes, which have almost no effect. In 2015, a small drone once traversed the layers of protection of the White House and landed on its lawn. In the end, it was discovered with the naked eyes of secret service personnel. Therefore, the role of radar technology in dealing with small UAVs is not particularly obvious.

Video detection: This technology is generally used in combination with other detection methods. The use of sensors to capture the silhouette of aerial vehicles can only be used as an auxiliary or recording method, rather than the main anti-UAV technology.

Video detection

Thermal imaging technology: This method is also an auxiliary technology that uses the thermal radiation generated during the flight of the drone to detect the position, and combines other technologies to complete the early warning and positioning of the drone.

Other methods: Some other anti-drone technologies include visual observation, radio frequency technology, and the creation of geographic barriers. After detecting the incoming UAV, the follow-up work needs to be completed by the corresponding weapons. The destruction methods include air defense light weapons, guided missiles, lasers, net guns, strong jamming devices or high-frequency microwave weapons, etc.

Anti-drone net gun

It can be seen from the above-mentioned anti-drone technology that the technology for preventing and eliminating incoming drones at this stage is still at the level of "terminal", which is to eliminate the drones that have already struck, and for those released The remote control personnel and facilities that control the drone are basically powerless. This is the so-called anti-drone technology that "treats the symptoms but not the root cause".

Israel's "traceable" anti-UAV system being tested
Recently, Ben Gurion University in Israel has developed a technology that can completely remove the drone control room far behind, and it is also considered to be an anti-drone that fundamentally eliminates drones. System ELTA.

ELTA Anti-UAV System

Researchers use satellites to collect the flight path of the drone, and analyze the drone's flight and signal reception methods through an autonomously constructed intelligent network. Through cloud data calculation, the location of the drone's control terminal can be predicted. It is currently being tested and it is said that its accuracy rate is as high as 78%, and the response time is quite fast.

UAV remote control room

Mashhadi of Ben Gurion University said when announcing the operation of the system that their system can show the reaction data of the remote controller to the surrounding environment when controlling the aircraft, and it also combines the flight path of the drone and the wireless signal. To obtain the position information of the controller. The core device in the entire system is an intelligent network (also called a neural network, developed by the Israelis), with the help of AirSim (aeronautical information and machine simulation simulator) to finally achieve a "bottom-off" type of drone countermeasures.

According to experts, the UAV control room generally does not only operate one UAV, it may control multiple or even dozens of aircraft at the same time. If you use the method of fighting one by one, not only the ground personnel are exhausted and the effect is not good, but the economic cost is also unaffordable. However, if this "traceable" anti-drone technology is successfully used, then as long as the drone is controlled If the person is not thousands of miles away, then anti-drone will become very simple. Of course, this kind of system can only be aimed at the existing manned drones. If there are intelligent drones that can operate completely autonomously in the future, then the defense forces need powerful air defense weapons And more advanced detection devices.