Drone Detection, Tracking, and Identification: The First Line of Defense

Historically, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, were created for war. The first known one was in Italy in 1849 when the Austrian Empire used uncrewed hot air balloons that dropped bombs on Venice. Now, drones are literally evolving at the speed of war, therefore the need for ever-improving drone security technology has never been more critical. In italy, all they could really do is launch stuff at those balloons and hope for the best, but we've got better ideas now. Similar to cyber-security technology life-cycles, every time there is a new tactic invented by the hackers, the protective technologies need to match the threat head on. The first three steps in securing against unauthorized UAV incursions are:

1.     Detect – Early warning that there is an unauthorized drone in the protected area

2.     Track – Locating BOTH the drone and the pilot (actually the remote controller) and recording there location over time

3.     Identify – Determine two key pieces on information:

• Type of drone which gives the security team information about the range, speed and payload capability of the UAV

• Friend or Foe (ie: is this a drone that I know is allowed to be in this space or not)

Also known as “DTI”, these three steps form the foundation of any counter-drone strategy, and combined with Mitigation (see my next blog in this series) create the complete Unauthorized UAV kill-chain lifecycle. Now let's dive into how each of these steps above can be accomplished and what technologies can be used for each.  

Detect: Finding the Needle in the Skystack

Drone detection must always be the first step in any counter-drone solution. There are four main types of detection technologies, each with its own strengths and limitations:

1. Radio Frequency (RF) Detection:

   • Pros:

     • Detects any RF controlled drone

     • Works in all weather conditions

   • Cons:

     • Will not detect autonomous drones because there is no RF signal to detect

     • Limited range when compared to radar detection systems

2. Camera-based Detection:

   • Pros:

     • Provides visual confirmation

     • Works day or night (with thermal imaging)

   • Cons:

     • Weather conditions can affect performance

     • Usually need to be combined with another form of detection for initial alert

3. Radar Detection:

   • Pros:

     • Works in most weather conditions

     • Detects small and fast-moving objects

   • Cons:

     • High false positive rates: May have difficulty distinguishing drones from birds, other small flying objects and even HVAC systems

4. Acoustic Detection:

   • Pros:

     • Edge case detection where other methods might fail (ie: bird like drone that is autonomously navigated)

   • Cons:

     • Less effective as drone technology is getting more and more quiet

Tracking: Pinpointing the Threat

  The moment a UAV is detected, tracking both drone and pilot location is critical to being able to successfully mitigate the threat whether it involves stopping the drone or apprehending the pilot. The most accurate tracking systems involve multiple sensors coming together through AI-driven sensor-fusion algorithms to create an accurate picture of the skies above.

Identification: Friend or Foe?

The identification phase is crucial for determining the nature of the threat. This step has a two-fold objective:

1. Determine whether the drone is “Friend or Foe”, in other words, is it a known authorized drone or an unauthorized drone that requires further investigation

2. Classify the UAV: This means to identify the drone model which, in turn, informs the security of the drone’s capabilities (range, speed and payload capacity)

Multi-sensor fusion plays a vital role in improving the accuracy of detection, tracking, and identification. By combining data from RF, camera, radar, and even acoustic sensors, counter-drone systems deliver comprehensive and reliable picture of the airspace.

In conclusion, as UAV technology evolves, so too, must the technology used by security teams to detect, track and identify these potential threats in the sky.  Once you have completed DTI, you must now mitigate (or stop) the drone threat.  Tune in for my next blog on UAV mitigation to learn more about the technologies available to stop the drone threat!!