Developments in recent months show how critical the defense is against enemy drones. Unmanned aircraft can radically change the outcome of the armed conflict. Developments in recent months now clearly show that technological progress in the field of autonomous and unmanned aerial media is a threat to both Ukraine and NATO.

Drones offer unique advantages: they are cheap in production, have already been tested in large -scale conflicts such as the Russian -Ukraine war, are made quickly and can avoid radar detection by flying at low altitude.

“The drone manufacturing industry is a lead, and efforts to tackle unmanned aircraft have not yet reached a similar level,” says Christopher Adams, an analyst in the US RAND thought tank.

However, there are already some methods for the defense of states against the invasions of drones – but each of them has some benefits and risks.

Tactics ‘spoofing’ and ‘jamming’

Drones are based on electronic systems and are often navigated by radio frequency (RF). That is why two of their most popular neutralization techniques are “spoofing”, that is, the “misleading” of the aircraft by sending incorrect signals and “jamming”, that is, interference with its navigation systems by blocking the aircraft’s communication with the control base.

However, these two methods can gradually be treated more effectively. “Drones are increasingly autonomous,” says Marcus Miller of the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Editing. “You have the image data of the target area, you plan the route and the drone can reach the target alone.”

Traonees are often used to treat traditional methods, such as the use of rockets, and there are “kamikaze” drones, which collide with hostile in the air and thus destroy them. Various armies also have laser or microwave weapons and can destroy hostile unmanned aircraft or burn their electronic circuits.

Defense is more difficult than attack

Weapons that break down drones, of course, are usually much more expensive. “The truth is that the defense is usually more expensive than the attack,” says Dominica Courtova, a researcher at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in the US. While a drone can cost a few hundred thousand dollars, a downhill rocket costs millions.

Defenders must also reflect on the safety of citizens. Rocket launching or using strong laser in urban areas can kill or injure civilians. At the same time, drones rejected by heaven can cause damage to infrastructure or even cost human lives. And finally, the challenge is the speed at which drones can be manufactured.

The challenge of commercial drones

Radar defense technologies do not, however, focus exclusively on military drones, but also identify commercial drones close to critical infrastructure and public spaces and may be used for some kind of attack.

Christopher Adams warns that commercial drones are a “biggest potential threat”, as drones are available “that do not broadcast radio waves and can be used to perform a variety of attacks”.

That is why it is crucial to protect airports, ports, as well as guarding and surveillance major events, such as a music festival or a sporting race. And unfortunately the technology of detecting and dealing with small drones that do not broadcast radio waves has not yet proceeded to a satisfactory level yet.

NATO European states to invest in defense

Analysts with whom DW spoke of point out that for governments worldwide and especially for NATO members in Europe, investment in defense should be prioritized.

Counterter, who has studied the use of drones in the context of the Russian -Ukraine war, emphasizes that Russia has a significant lead in both drones and defense technologies against enemy drones. On the contrary, NATO and EU states “do not make sufficient efforts to develop defense technologies against the threat of drones,” the expert adds.

Curated by: George Passas