Anti Drone - A new Paradigm

 

Anti- Drone : A new paradigm

                Drones are one of the most exciting technological inventions that have happened in the past one decade. Drones which started with a military objective initially are now being used for civilian purpose in a number of areas as agriculture, mining, urban development, media coverage, oil and gas industry, delivery services, sports etc. The law enforcement agencies are also using drones for urban policing, traffic management, border security, disaster relief, jungle operations etc.

          A Drone Policy was introduced in India in August 2018 and this become operational from the 1st of December 2018. This policy talks of five different categories of drones as per their weight category, mandates the requirement of a Unique Identification number (UIN) for each drone, talks about automatic flight termination mode, permitting of daytime operations only, flying permission only as per visible line of sight ( VLOS) and also a No-Permission-No-Take Off (NPNT) principle. A Digital Sky platform is expected to give the required permissions and coordinate operations of drones.

          The exponential growth in the number of drones has introduced the concept of these very drones being perceived as a threat. Miniature UAVs, consumer drones and Do-it-Yourself (DIY) drones are available all over the internet and can be easily assembled at home too. The threat from these drones could be benign when posed by a person who is unaware of the rules or by a mischief monger. There could also be a malfunction in the machine or these threats could also be a matter of design and such could emanate from the evil mind of criminals, non- state actors or anti- national elements. 

The sheer versatility of drones has made them an attractive tool in the hands of anti-social and anti-national elements. Flight interruptions because of sighting of drones near airports has been heard of quite often. But there is no dearth of rogue drones up there in the sky today. Radioactive material landing on the roof of Japanese Prime Minister's office in Tokyo, French nuclear plants being surveyed by unknown drones, drone landing in the middle of meeting being taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, drone crashing in the lawns of White House, multiple-drone attack on the Saudi refinery, criminals using drones to send drugs, mobile phones and weapons into prisons are few such examples. Drones were used to conduct reconnaissance of Reau prison, in the outskirts of Paris, to study the security set up, after which the famous criminal Faid escaped in a helicopter. All these examples point towards a new paradigm in aerial threats. 

Trials have been conducted of Anti-drone systems to counter the rogue fixed-wing planes as well as quad-copters. Techniques as listening and identifying the sound of incoming drones, using thermal imaging cameras for identification, flooding the radio frequency in which the drone is operating so as to cancel out its signal are being tested. Techniques have also been developed to hijack or take over the controls of an incoming drone. More basic techniques as shooting down an incoming drone or catching it and retrieving it in a net have also been thought of to disable rogue/enemy drones whose threat is very real today. Terrorists have also been talking about delivering bombs and other payloads as nerve gases through drones in crowds and heavily populated places to kill people and spread panic.  

Companies the world over are now trying to develop systems to counter the threat of rogue/ enemy drones. From the threats seen till date and looking at the basic characteristics of a drone system, any counter-drone solution should firstly be able to successfully detect and identify an incoming drone. It should be able to distinguish between a friend and a foe and then try to mitigate this threat by the best means available. The neutralisation of an incoming drone should also ensure that safety is not compromised for the people and property on ground. Any counter- drone identification system must also be such that it does not give too many false positives. Minimum human intervention and maximum machine understanding must lie at the core of such a system. Such a counter- drone system can act as an effective force multiplier in the field and can mitigate the incoming drone threats considerably.

The technology being experimented with in the counter- drone systems must also take care not to interfere with the public assigned frequencies, nor must it interfere with the frequency allotted for airplanes, cell phone communications, public broadcasts or normal radio channels. It should also not interfere with the frequency allotted to law enforcement agencies in their varied routine law enforcement functions. 

In the Indian context one has recently seen a number of rogue drone ‘mules’ coming inside the Indian territory and dropping arms, ammunition and drugs near the Indo- Pak border. The Border Security Force has seized a number of suchdrones and even shot down a drone which had entered the Indian territory. Most of these enemy drones were of Chinese make and had a pre-defined flight path to drop their illegal payloads. Because of their small size they were not in a position to carry very heavy payloads of arms, ammunition or explosives which is a distinct possibility in the times to come. All these drones were light-weight, small in size, flew at a low height and at high speeds and that is why it was not possible to detect them.   

Seeing this kind of a threat emerging, which is only likely to increase in times to come, the Government of India in 2018 invited a number of local and foreign players to exhibit their counter- drone technologies in this vital area. The idea was to set the ball rolling so that appropriate mechanisms could be put in place to counter the threat of rogue/ enemy drones. A number of government agencies as Ministry of Civil Aviation, Pawan Hans Limited, IAF, CISF, NSG, DRDO etc. participated in the process along with local and foreign firms to decide on the technology best suited under Indian conditions. On the 10^th May 2019 Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has also issued detailed Standard Operating Procedures for Handling the threats from Drones and other Sub- Conventional Aerial platforms. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also issued National Counter Rogue Guidelines which intend to put in place different measures and guidelines to handle the threat posed by rogue drones. It talks of a Steering Committee at the national level to evolve a Counter- drone framework and an Implementation Committee for the regular monitoring of sub- conventional threat environment and the implementation of the counter- drone measures at the national and the state level.

 

II.       Drone detection and Identification

          The best technology in this area will be recognized as one that is able to identify the incoming drone, discriminate between a friend and foe and correctly assess the threat level by looking at the database of information available on the subject. An approaching drone can be identified in any of the following manner:

Naked eye:  The drone herein is sighted by an operator, either with his naked eye or by sophisticated sighting instruments. The disadvantage here is that this sighting is possible only when a drone has reached very close to the target. It is also very difficult to identify a friendly drone from a non- friendly one and because of the close proximity of a fast approaching drone, it becomes very difficult to prevent any real damage or substantially mitigate this threat.

Audio detection:  All drones emit specific frequencies and these can be picked up by a machine. The devices that listen to these frequencies, can check on the available database, to decide on the kind of drone approaching - whether it is a friendly or an enemy drone etc. This audio- detection works well in any rural area but in a city/ urban setting the audio- detection gets drowned in the hustle and bustle of the city. IIO product uses multi- sensors as RF pulses, visual and acoustic signatures to identify rogue drones.

Radio frequency: Some counter- drone technologies are able to intercept the radio- frequency of the incoming drone and interpret their location. Almost all drones use some kind of RF to communicate with their operators. However this engages drones on a one-to-one basis and this method gets thwarted when the number of incoming drones is large. Aaronia AARTOS DDS and De Drone product RF100 and RF300 offer good detection in this category.

Radar: Radars have also been tried to detect an incoming drone. However the inherent disadvantage here is that the radar is built to detect large objects, flying at sufficient heights and approaching at high speeds. A drone is anything but this. They are small objects, flying low near the ground and at sufficient speeds. The recent multi- drone and missile attacks at Abaqaiq and Khurais oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in Sept 2019 showed that even highly sophisticated air defence systems installed by US and France were neither able to detect nor engage the incoming drones which led to a lot of damage to these refineries. QinetiQ, developed by the British Army, is a very useful and mobile alert system for incoming drones.

Geo fencing: This technology tries to create an electronic barrier in the airspace around any vital installation or a high value target by a combination of hardware and software. Thus a protected zone is created. Even the drone policy announced in India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in 2018 clearly talks about no drone zones wherein it is prohibited by the law to fly drones. Skyfence by IIO builds up this kind of electronic fence. 

Video detection: Video records collected over a period of time can develop valuable visual signatures to distinguish a friendly or an enemy drone. A video database can understand an incoming drone better and thereafter appropriate step can be taken to provide protection. However this methodology shows limitations and is susceptible to changes in season and changes in weather. This database built over time, supplemented by algorithms can be useful in the long-term to correctly identify and mitigate an incoming threat. IAI product Drone guard is a useful multi- sensor system using electro- optical detection for drones.

Thermal detection: This technology picks up the heat signature on any incoming drone for identification. An urban setting is not the right place for this technology, because there are hundreds of machines in any city. But in a rural setting it can be a very useful tool to detect the presence of a drone in remote areas or in counter-terrorism, counter- insurgent jungle operations. Security of remotely located vital installations can also be done successfully using this technology.

III.      Drone neutralization  

Once the drone has been detected and duly identified, a counter-drone system needs to mitigate and neutralise this incoming threat. The different methods available to counter a drone can be divided into two broad categories – Kinetic and non- Kinetic. The former are ones which use physical or brute force to neutralise this threat and these are also termed as hard kill measures while the latter are ones which try to interfere with the flight path or flight communication of an incoming drone and these are termed as soft kill measures. 

(a)      Kinetic solutions: The Kinetic measure are those that physically try to intercept, damage or destroy an incoming drone by engaging it on a one-to-one basis.  This technique tracks an incoming drone, engages it directly and then tries to render it inoperable using high powered rays/ beams. However during such a hard kill the enemy drone gets destroyed and attempts to collect electronic evidence, which can point towards its perpetrator are lost.

Counter drone drones:  These are drones that are available with the law enforcement or counter- drone forces on the ground to counter the rogue/ enemy drone. They engage an incoming drone on a one-to-one basis and try to overpower/ crash into the incoming drone. By causing a collateral damage, this technique can also sometimes pose a risk to people and property where the destroyed drone hits the ground. However this technique is not very successful, if the number of incoming drones is large or it was a centrally- coordinated swarm of drones. Counter UAS by Skylord is an effective system in this category. 

Eagles:  The use of predatory birds to counter drones was also tried. Eagles which are natural predators, were trained to intercept incoming drones. The Dutch law enforcement started using this technique to pluck out enemy drones from the air. The eagles because of their big wingspan, keen eyesight and sharp talons were quite successful in this. However to counter this defence, some rogue manufacturers started putting sharp edges on the rotors which hurt and injured these birds. Inconsistent behavior shown by the birds also come in the way and now this technique has almost been shelved.

Nets:  Attempts have made to intercept enemy drones by putting a net over them which will interferes with the rotating blades and this will bring the drone down. The advantage of this technique is that the complete drone is rendered inoperable and it cannot fly any longer. Once available, the rogue drone can be scanned for all the electronic evidence, to trace the digital footprints, and ultimately its source and intent. Since the drones are very small flying objects, moving at a reasonably good speed and can change directions it becomes very difficult to accurately target it so that a net can be placed around it, rendering it immobile. The Drone Catcher is a drone which approaches the enemy drone, locks onto it and then catches the enemy drone by throwing a net around it. Similarly the Skywall 100 is a grounded version of the Drone catcher wherein a ground- based gun fires a net at the suspect drone to bring it down.

Projectiles:  Projectiles are also fired at approaching drones to destroy them completely. These high precision guided projectiles can lock on to the target and obliterate them completely. The variants of this technology range from the very cheap ones, which are not very effective, to the highly expensive missiles which can destroy a drone completely by engaging it on a one-to-one basis. These can prove useful while protecting vital installations or very high value targets. Since drones are very small objects, flying close to the ground and changing directions, targeting them can be a challenge. Similarly, if a drone is light weight it will not be able to carry a very heavy payload and therefore its potential for a big damage will also be low.

Lasers:  Companies have also tried to bring down the enemy drone by firing very high powered laser beam at an incoming drone. This high powered beam is capable of destroying the drone completely or at least damaging the critical parts thereby rendering it useless. However adverse weather conditions can come in the way of effective engagement of lasers. The limitation is that lasers, which require a large amount of power to operate, can only fire in the visual line of sight. The falling of the damaged enemy drone on the ground also poses risks to the people and property nearby. DRDO’s anti- drone system is a comprehensive solution to damage rogue drones by firing high wattage laser at them. ATHENA, used by the US Army, is a weapon that targets big drones by firing a high energy laser beam and completely destroying the enemy drone. Similarly the Death Ray truck, developed by Boeing, fires high energy laser at targets and destroys them in all weather conditions.

 

(b)      Non Kinetic Solutions: These techniques try to counter the threat posed by the incoming drone by intercepting or interfering with the communication system between the drone and its operator and ultimately taking control of the rogue drone.

Jammers:     The jammer blasts high intensity electromagnetic signals at the frequency on which the drones operate. This interferes with the navigation and communication of an incoming drone and disorients the drone. This high intensity signal disrupts the communication between the drone and its operator and renders the drone immobile. The jamming frequencies must be carefully chosen so that they do not interfere with public assigned frequencies and also do not interfere with aircraft movement, cell phone usage, public broadcasts etc.  

Directional jammers have been developed which lock an incoming drone in a one-to-one engagement and try to jam its systems. But if the number of drones is large, or if they are operating at different frequencies, then it is a challenge. Manufacturers, to counter such jammers, are trying to introduce high end encryption to counter the jamming technologies in the new class of drones. However the research agencies have now introduced the concept of Barrage jammers which jam communications over a wide range of frequencies so that these can also operate on a one-to-many basis and one such equipment can jam the frequencies of a number of drones flying at different frequencies. By jamming the rogue drones they can be safely brought to ground for further analysis. Drone gun MkIII jams the radio/GPS/ mobile signal between the drone and the pilot and is able to ground a suspect UAV. This weapon, designed in Australia, has an effective range of about 2 kms. Dynamatic’s Anti- drone system and Sky Fence are two good products which use a range of signal disruptors to jam the flight path of suspect drones and thus prevent them from entering secure and sensitive places as vital installations. 

Spoofing:  This is a very effective way to gain control of an incoming drone by intercepting the communication between the controller and his drone and then replicate and clone it in a manner so that another person is able to take over the control. Drone Malware implies hacking of the suspect drone by planting a malware remotely, taking control of its software and pilot and thereafter taking it in custody. Drone defender is another very useful product in this category.

These counter- drone technologies can identify and engage multiple drones at one time. They can all operate on a 24x 7 basis and are not limited to visual line of sight or day-night restrictions. They can truly prove to be a force multiplier in the field. Some of these technologies can even avoid collateral damage by taking over control of an incoming drone, thereby not only protecting the any vital installation from damage, but also facilitate a detailed analysis of the complete digital footprint that the enemy drone carries.

 

IV.     Conclusion

          No counter-drone solution is perfect. The disadvantages of one counter-drone system can be overcome by combining two or three different systems together. The basic objective behind any counter- drone technology is that it should be able to detect the presence of an incoming drone, should successfully identify a friend or a foe and finally try to reduce the damage in the best way possible manner so that the safety and security of the people living around is not compromised. These drones must not only be neutralized in the best manner possible, but attempts must also be made to collect as much evidence from them as possible because only then can an enemy/ rogue non-state actor be confronted with incontrovertible evidence as per the law of the land. The drone policy enunciated by the Government of India in the year 2018 is a very useful tool in this direction and its compliance needs to be ensured all over the country if we are to mitigate the risks of enemy/ rogue drones and make people/ vital installations safe.

 

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Bibliography :

 

• DRDO’s cutting edge anti-drone system to be deployed in Delhi for PM’s security, Manjeet Singh Negi, 14 Aug 2020
• Top 5 Most Effective Anti- drone Technologies which India can look at, Abhay Roy, 17 Jan 2020
• Requirements for Operation of Civil Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems    (RPAS), “Office of Director General of Civil Aviation”, 27 August 2018.
• Constitution of Task Force, “Order, Ministry of Civil Aviation”, 11 April, 2018.
• Months before man escaped in helicopter, drones scouted jail: “Jailbreak inspired by Hollywood”, Indian Express, 3 July 2018.
• How to evaluate counter-drone products, Dr Ryan Jenkins, Whitefox Defence     Technologies, 2018
• Draft Regulation of CAR on Civil use of Drones, “Ministry of Civil Aviation”, 2 Nov 2017.
• With Radars and nets, Pentagon tests tech to destroy Islamic State drones: “Terror outfit’s drones have mostly targeted Iraqi troops and Syrian Militias”, Indian Express, 25 September 2017.
• Use of Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV)/ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Civil Applications, “Office of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation”, 7 Oct 2014.
• Google aims to begin drone deliveries: Gen-Next Tech, DNA, 4 November 2015.
• Copping a copter: Dealing with Rogue drones, Indian Express, 7 May 2015.

 

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Author :

Pankaj Kumar Singh IPS

Addl DG BSF

Eastern Command, Kolkata

 

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 ( Published in BSF Annual magazine Borderman 2020 )

Drones - a new frontier

Drones - A new frontier for Police The recently announced policy by the Ministry of Civil Aviation has aroused the interest of one and all in Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPA) or Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems - better known as UAV’s or Drones.                                                                    The term drone is widely used as a name given to an unmanned aircraft system which includes a ground control station, data link, support equipment and a remotely piloted aerial vehicle. Some other similar terms which are used for drones are Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle System (UAVS), Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) etc. Thus, drone basically implies a system that does not carry a human operator, is remotely operated from ground, is at times expendable or even catered for multiple uses and may or may not carry a lethal pay load. The Government of India has been operating military drones for quite some time. These military drones do not carry lethal payloads for attacking or neutralizing the enemy forces. The common knowledge of public regarding drones is largely shaped by the use of military drones by the US Air Force. The US today has more than 10,000 military drones - carrying out operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and other places through their long range Global Hawk, Predator and Reaper drones. For the sake of simplicity, this article will henceforth use the term ‘drone’ only wherever they are addressed by other names also as UAVS/ UAV/ RPAS etc. I. Drone Policy in India The Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced a policy on the 27th of August 2018 for the operation of civil remotely piloted aircraft systems. This policy came into effect on the 01st of December, 2018 and it has categorized drones into five different kinds of civil systems as per their weight categories : §  Nano              -            Less than or equal to 250 gms. §  Micro             -            more than 250 gms to 2 kgs. §  Small              -           more than 2 kgs to 25 kgs. §  Medium        -             more than 25 kgs to 150 kgs. §  Large              -           More than 150 kgs. Civil aviation requirements are applicable on all civil remotely piloted aircraft systems. The new policy talks about a Unique Identification Number (UIN) in order to uniquely identify any drone. This UIN will be issued through a Digital Sky Platform. The drones in Nano category and those operated by intelligence and security agencies are exempted from obtaining UIN. The new policy also mandates the requirement of Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) which will be required for those using small, medium and large drones. All such persons should be 18 years of age or older, should have passed the class 10th exam in English and should have undergone practical training. The new policy is very conscious of the safety requirements by insisting that all drones, except those in the Nano category, be equipped with horizontal and vertical positioning system, automatic flight termination mode, returning to home option, have anti-collision lights, SIM card based real time tracking, fire resistant UIN and also flight data logging capability. The Indian Air Force and Airports Authority of India have been given the responsibility to coordinate and monitor the movement of drones in the entire country. The loss of any drone is to be immediately reported to local police, BCAS and DGCA. All drone operations must be done during day time and that too within the Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) only. The drone operators, except those in Nano and Micro category, are required to file their flight plan at least 24 hours before the actual operations to the concerned authorities and also inform the local police formations in writing prior to commencement of their operations. The policy has listed out certain restricted areas in metros, near civil airports, defence installations, international border, sea coasts etc. which are out of bounds for all drones. No aerial photography or remote sensing can be carried out in these areas. In case any violations are noticed, DGCA can suspend the UIN or approach police for the registration of a police case under appropriate provisions of Indian Penal Code, Aircraft Act- 1934 or Aircraft Rules- 1937- as the case may be. Task Force The Government of India has also constituted a Task Force to come up with a road map for further development of Drone/ UAV technology in the country. This task force comprises of government officials, industry experts and certain special invitees depending upon their area of specialization. This task force was formed on the 11th of April, 2018 - has its headquarters in Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi- and was to submit its report within six months. Their recommendations will apply to Central Government, State Government, industry and other research institutions. Past Policies Historically speaking, the first policy in India to talk about civil remotely operated aircraft systems came up in the year 2014. This policy talked about the civilian use of drones in the field of agriculture, natural calamities, survey of infrastructure as in power lines, pipelines, aerial mapping etc. and also talked about the rapid spread of such systems for recreational and entertainment purpose. A public notice was issued by the DGCA on 07th of Oct 2014 which talked of the large civilian use of drones within the country and warned about the dangers of unregulated operations. Civilian operations of all drones were restricted unless they had approval from Defence, MHA, security agencies or the DGCA. To take matters forward and to involve all stake holders the Ministry of Civil Aviation published Civil Aviation Requirements on the civilian use of drones on 02nd of November, 2017 and invited suggestions from all stake holders before a final policy was put in place. These draft regulations were almost on similar lines to the policy that was announced on the 27th of August, 2018. In India the civilian sector has seen an increasing use of drones in agriculture, exploration, mining, sports, photography and other areas. The use of drones in India has increased considerably for recreation and industrial purpose and today a variety of different models are easily available on e-commerce sites as Flipkart, Amazon, Indiamart, Snapdeal, OLX, Paytm mall etc. Today drones made by Chinese and French companies have flooded the Indian market. Chinese company DJI alone has 75 percent market share of the civilian drone global market. A recent report by Goldman Sachs talks about the global spending on UAV’s in the next five years to be reaching approximately 100 billion US dollars. II. Drone Policy in other Countries USA The Drone policy of USA is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov/uas). Separate rules exist for Recreational hobbyists, Commercial drone fliers and Educational users. The Commercial operators need to be registered with the FAA and must also possess a Remote Pilot certificate to fly drones. Their height limit is restricted to 400 ft and speed to less than 100 mph. Drones in USA can fly during daytime only and that too within the visual line of sight. Recreational drone fliers are exempted from having a Remote Pilot certificate, but need to comply with other conditions. Certain No fly zones have been laid down for all types of fliers. Israel Drone flying in this country is controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (www.en.caa.gov.il). Separate rules have been laid down for Recreational and Commercial drone users. A commercial operator needs a license to fly whereas the hobbyists are exempted from this. However all drone fliers must fly below 50m height, only during the daytime and within the visual line of sight only. No fly zones have been earmarked by the CAAI. France The French Civil Aviation authority (www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr) has set the rules for flying of drones in the country. All drones of weight 800 gms or more need to be registered on a public portal- Alpha Tango- and the unique registration number given must be prominently displayed on the drone. Commercial drone pilots must pass a theoretical exam and also undergo basic training. Drones must not be flown over people and private property and must stick to the height limit of 150 mts. Only day flying is permitted and that too in the visual line of sight only. UK Civil Aviation Authority of UK (www.caa.co.uk) regulates the flying of drones in UK. Registration of drones and online safety tests for drone pilots will become mandatory from 30th Nov 2019. A height limit of 400 ft has been set and the drones are to keep a minimum distance of 50 m from people and property to cater to privacy issues. A separate category of Tethered drones and those weighing more than 20 kg have also been mentioned in the policy which are governed by a different set of rules. Clearly demarcated No fly zones have been listed to ensure safety and security of important places and the local police has been empowered to seize drones and penalize them for violating laid down rules. China Drone flying in China is governed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (www.caac.gov.cn). Any drone weighing more than 250 gms has to be registered after which it gets a QR code which is to be displayed on the drone for identification. Drones flown for commercial purpose need a license issued by CAAC. The maximum altitude permitted is 120 mts and anything flown higher than this requires a commercial license. No fly zones have been earmarked and flying is permitted only within the Visual line of sight. Japan The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (www.mlit.go.jp/en/koku/uas.html) regulates the flying of drones which weigh more than 200 gms. These are permitted to fly during daytime and that too within the visual line of sight only. Limitations are placed on their flying in densely populated areas and in areas designated as No fly zones. Current rules do not permit carrying of hazardous materials and dropping of objects from drones. III. Areas of interest for Police The following are areas where drones are being extensively used. These areas can be of vital interest for the Law Enforcement authorities as the role played by the drones directly affects the safety, security and well being of the citizens of the country and also has a bearing on the Law of the land.  Some interesting areas are - (1) Urban Policing – City based police forces in India have been using drones for traffic management, tackling law and order situations and also for crime control. Drones are being used for controlling and diverting traffic to ensure smooth traffic flow and also to keep an eye on emerging law and order situations. These have been found to be very useful in keeping an eye on the trouble creators/ mischief mongers in law and order situations by providing incontrovertible photographic evidence from a safe distance. Hi-Tech police command and control centers are these days using drones to fly over crime prone areas at designated times to keep an eye on the general situation in the area thereby thus proving to be a deterrent for criminals and anti-social elements, lest they be caught by the ‘camera in the sky’. (2) Jungle operations - Drones have also been found to be very useful in anti- insurgent/ Maoist operations in jungles, hilly terrain and forests by providing that ‘eye in the sky'. These drones fly high and are able to give a bird's eye view of the exact dangers lurking beyond the line of sight to prepare the troops for any exigency. These help in making operations more predictable, safe and secure. These can also give the exact location of the enemy hiding ahead and thereby giving the police forces that extra information to counter the threat successfully. (3) Border patrol – Police forces manning the border areas are using drones to check illegal infiltration and cross border smuggling. These have been found to be very useful in keeping an eye on any suspicious movements on the border at all times of day and night. This kind of a usage on the one hand saves on manpower and at the same time provides accurate video graphic evidence of any untoward movement thereby preparing the border force to counter any nefarious designs in a pro-active manner.

(4) Disaster relief – Police forces have been using drones in times of natural and man-made disasters. These systems are designed to enable police to locate and reach stranded people, by reducing the time taken to activate rescue operations, send immediate food and relief material and thereby making the difference between their life and death. Such drones were used during floods in Kedarnath, Srinagar, Chennai, Kerala and cyclone in Odisha etc. Police and fire-fighting agencies have also been using drones in cases of man-made disasters as fire in multistoried buildings, building collapse etc. Drones have also kept a strict vigil to prevent any kind of mishap or disaster as was done during Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj recently.

(5) Passenger Drones - A number of firms the world over have been experimenting with passenger drones that can be used like an ordinary car or even summoned with a smartphone app. A number of firms as Airbus, Bell, Workhorse and Joby Aviation in US, EHang in China, Aeromobil in Slovakia and Lilium and Volocopter in Germany have been experimenting with passenger drones for some time. Safety is a primary concern herein and so these drones are equipped with a number of extra safety features as back-up manual controls, extra fuel for emergency and even parachutes for exigency. Test flights of such passenger carrying drones have already been carried out in Dubai. The government in Dubai plans to see 25% of Dubai's entire traffic to be done by such driverless vehicles by 2030. Police needs to keep an eye on this kind of development as these drones will fill up the sky and create a ‘traffic jam up there too’. New traffic rules will have to be thought of to regulate the flight path, flight times and ensure safe travel of these piloted/ driverless drones.

(6) Underwater drones – From airborne to underwater drones. An entirely new field has come up of having more ‘eyes in water'. These drones are being used by police in some countries to locate capsized boats, missing/drowned persons, underwater obstacles and other lurking dangers below water surface. An interesting difference between airborne and underwater drones is that since the radio waves are not able to travel underwater, hence these drones are normally tethered by a long cable. Such drones are being used by defense forces for carrying surveillance in coastal areas on underwater submarines and other spy devices which enemies may plant in or around the land or ships of another country. 

(7) Illegal Mining – Police and revenue authorities are using drones to study topography of the mining areas to decide on the exact area and the title status regarding the extent of mining that can be done. Drones are being used to reach the exact spot where illegal mining and blasting is being carried out to assess the exact amount violation being done and the amount of material being dug out. The drones are able to show exactly the amount of illegal mining that has been done and the extent of penalty that can be levied. All this can be done safely, with accuracy and also in a discreet manner.

(8) Medical relief – There are times when the Police department creates a ‘Green corridor’ in an emergency situation when the life/ lives of people are at stake and vital organs have to be sent to a distant place. The entire objective of this exercise to provide a quick, safe and non-stop passage for an ambulance carrying vital organs to the hospital where the patient is admitted.

Some agencies have found drones to be particularly useful in Rwanda in Africa to drop off packages of blood for transfusion and also deliver vaccines and other life saving medicines to remote and far flung areas. This approach is useful in countries with inadequate infrastructure, inhospitable terrain and poor road network. Valuable, important and life saving drugs can be moved quickly, safely and cheaply obviating the requirement for expensive packaging, need for refrigeration and even security issues.

IV.  Drone usage - Other areas

(i) Sports - Drone racing is a new sport that has caught everyone’s fancy. The World Drone Prix conducts drone racing and offers cash prizes amounting to approximately 1 million dollars. World Organization of Racing Drones (WORD) is the organization behind this idea and it has held races in Dubai and Hawaii. This involves the use of a remote control to operate and fly drones. This racing is of two kinds - freestyle and track racing. Freestyle involves a person to fly his drone in the most adventurous and thrilling manner in a stipulated time limit. Track racing, on the other hand, means flying the drone on a predefined track for a fixed number of laps in the shortest possible time. Experts claim that the drone racing market, estimated at $ 500 million today, is likely to reach $ 3 billion by 2020.

(ii) Internet from sky - Facebook has already tested the flying of Aquila drones at about 60- 90 thousand feet up in the sky which will beam Internet to people on earth. A fleet of such solar powered drones is expected to beam Internet from space and ensure non-stop connectivity across the globe. These pilotless drones will weigh about 1000 pounds, have a wingspan larger than a Boeing 747 and will be controlled by a ground station crew. The idea behind this concept is to provide Internet connectivity to almost 4 billion people who are today in far flung areas which are the 'dark zone' for Internet.

(iii) Agriculture - Today drones are also being used for monitoring the variability in crops, deciding the optimal level of irrigation, pesticides and fertilizer mix for the crops. These drones are fitted with multispectral cameras- sensitive to specific wavelengths of light. These enable them to detect health related changes in plants before they are visible to naked eyes. Such multispectral photography also helps in finding out the disease likely to affect the crops and assess the correct yield in a season. Since all these results are available in a much faster and scientific manner than ever before, it leads to savings in time and input costs, leading to improved yields in agriculture, revenue and better profits for the farmers. (iv) Urban development – A number of issues in urban development can be successfully tackled using this technology– ensuring balanced development of any area, planning out expansion of city by correct assessment of topography and natural resources, ensuring optimal allocation of available budget, correct placement of public utilities, checking for encroachment/ illegal construction etc.

(v) Media - Journalists in US, UK, Russia, France, India and a number of other countries are using drones to capture photographs of celebrities, VIP’s, important events etc. from unheard of angles, inaccessible and unsafe places, which otherwise would take a long time to reach. Journalists are acting as remote-control-pilots and covering riotous situations, natural and man-made disasters and at times also intruding into the privacy of celebrities and other well-known persons to beam photographs that would not have been possible earlier. They have found that this option is much cheaper, faster and safer than hiring of helicopters and airplanes.

(vi) Oil and Gas industry - Drones are being used to look for leakages in oil and gas pipelines. They are also able to check for pilferage or theft of oil being done from over ground pipelines. Drones are also being used to service off -shore oil and gas platforms by permitting dropping of supplies in all weather conditions without risking human pilots. Underwater drones are being used by oil companies to carry out underwater inspection of oil rigs in the sea to check for any damage, fault or acts of espionage and also to check inside of oil tanks for damage or cracks in order to pre-empt any damage or oil spill.

(vii) Power industry – These companies are using drones to do a quick check on any damage to power lines, solar panels and windmills without exposing the linesman to any risk and thereby saving on time and costs.

(viii) Delivery services - Google and Amazon have already been testing delivery of packages to consumers by drones. However, the regulation that the drone operators have a line of sight contact with the drone comes in way of full-scale commercial operations. Experts in this area have suggested that a low altitude air space can be carved out for drones exclusively so that it falls out of the line of manned aircraft and low flying helicopters. This kind of a provision can go a long way in enabling delivery of goods by enabling drones to fly over highly populated areas, thus saving on time and costs. 

(ix) Space - Drones have been used in the International Space Station since 2006. This drone called SPHERE (Synchronized, Position, Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental satellite) is a 30cm cube which uses jets of carbon dioxide to propel itself In the Space Station. NASA is currently planning to introduce a new kind of drone called Astrobee in the Space Station which will compress air available onboard and use it for propulsion. It will be able to relieve the astronauts of routine tasks and will form the virtual eyes for scientists at the ground station to keep track of things that have gone missing or have changed their places in the space station because of zero gravity.

(x) Use in Defence - US armed forces have been using drones since 2002 in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Pakistan. The US Army uses long range drones as Predator, Reaper, Puma, Global Hawk, Raven etc. which can fly non-stop for over 24 hours at heights of over 30,000 ft and can fire missiles with amazing precision. To counter the attack of these military drones, ISIS has also started using drones to counter the US threat. All this has led the US to adopt new strategies and technology to counter such attacks. 

(xi) Military Drones in India - The Indian Air Force today has Israeli Harop killer drones which can act as kamikaze drones. The forces also have Israeli Heron and Searcher-II drones which undertake combat missions and carry out routine surveillance. The Indian government has been in recent talks with the US government to procure combat drones armed with missiles and capable of flying for over 25 hours. The US government has recently cleared the sale of 22 Guardian drones to India and the country is also on course to buy another 10 Heron drones from Israel.

(xii)  Other areas (Insurance, Banking, Environment)- There are a number of other areas where the usage of drones is picking up or can be thought of to save time, money and boost efficiency in the system. The Insurance sector can use drones to assess the damage at any site without actually reaching the site or at places which are difficult to reach. Banking sector can make use of these to quickly restock the ATM’s which are in far and inaccessible areas. Multispectral cameras onboard can be used to check pollution levels in lakes and rivers without the requirement for physically going to each of the suspected spots. The Forest department has been using drones to keep an eye on poachers, clamp down on poaching and even red flag encroachment areas in the forest.

V. Anti Drone Technologies

The sheer versatility of drones have made them an attractive tool in the hands of anti-social and anti-national elements. As a result there is no dearth of rogue drones up there in the sky. Radioactive material landing on the roof of Japanese Prime Minister's office in Tokyo, French nuclear plants being surveyed by unknown drones, drone crashing in White House lawns, criminals using drones to send drugs, mobile phones and weapons into the prison are few such examples. Drones were used to conduct reconnaissance of Reau prison, in the outskirts of Paris, to study the security set up, after which the famous criminal Faid escaped in a helicopter.

Trials have been conducted of anti-drone systems to counter the rogue fixed-wing planes as well as quad-copters. Techniques as listening and identifying the sound of incoming drones, using thermal imaging cameras for identification, flooding the radio frequency in which the drone is operating so as to cancel out its signal are being tested. Techniques have also been developed to hijack or take over the controls of incoming drone. More basic techniques as shooting down an incoming drone or catching it and retrieving it in a net have also been thought of to destroy rogue/enemy drones whose threat is very real today. Terrorists have also been talking about delivering bombs and other payloads as nerve gases through drones in crowds and heavily populated places to kill people and spread panic. Some of the technologies being used the world over are -

(a) Drone gun – This gun looking contraption jams the radio/GPS/ mobile signal between the drone and the pilot and is able to ground the suspect UAV. This weapon, designed in Australia, has an effective range of about 2 kms.

(b) ATHENA – This weapon targets big drones by firing a high energy laser beam which completely destroys the enemy drone. The full form of this weapon system is Advanced Test High Energy Asset. This has been tested by the US Army.

(c) Drone Catcher – There are times when it would be desirable to bring down the suspect drone safely so that all incriminating evidence can be preserved, studied and then used at a later date. This system comprises of a drone which approaches the enemy drone, locks onto it and then catches the enemy drone by throwing a net around it.

(d) Skywall 100 – This system is the grounded version of the Drone catcher. The ground- based gun fires a net at the suspect drone and then brings down the suspect drone safely using a parachute. The effective range for this drone is about 100 mts.

(e) Sky Fence – This system uses a range of signal disruptors geared to jam the flight path of the suspect drones and prevent them from entering secure and sensitive places and VITAL installations.

(f) Drone Malware – This technique implies hacking of the suspect drone by planting of a malware remotely, taking control of its software and pilot and thereafter taking it in custody.

(g) Use of Eagles – The Dutch started using this technique to pluck out enemy drones from the air. The eagles because of their big wingspan, keen eyesight and sharp talons were quite successful in this, but due to inconsistent behavior of the birds this technique has of late been shelved.

Anti-drone technologies are being experimented with in India also. In 2018 the Government invited a number of local and foreign players to exhibit their technologies in this vital area. The idea was to set the ball rolling so that appropriate mechanisms can be put in place to counter the threat of rogue drones. A number of government agencies as Ministry of Civil Aviation, Pawan Hans Limited, IAF, CISF, NSG, DRDO etc. participated in the process along with local and foreign firms to decide on the technology best suited under Indian conditions.

VI. Conclusion

With a draft Policy in place, it is only a matter of time before flying of RPA’s/drones becomes legal in India. There are thousands of drones which are already being operated by different players in the country for sports, recreational and commercial purpose. All these will have to incorporate the latest provisions given in the new Policy to ensure that matters related to licensing, flying and safety are adhered to. The opportunities are endless and there is no dearth of creativity on ground. It remains to be seen as to how people take to this policy and explore newer areas for drone usage. The Government also needs to keep its ears on the ground and ensure that the Policy remains dynamic and is able to cater to the demands of the industry and end users by regularly incorporating newer provisions in the policy. All this will open up newer areas and ensure goods and, maybe even passengers are transported faster, cheaper and safer. Technology will help make quicker assessments for optimal decision making to reduce the down time in critical infrastructure, energy supply and open up newer areas for exploration of ground-based minerals and energy supply. Such a scenario can ensure a win-win situation for the different industries and the government.

( 4,773 words )

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Abstract of Article

Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems or UAV’s or Drones are being used the world over for a variety of purposes today. Made popular by the usage of drones for combat purpose by the US Air Force, drones today are being used extensively by governments, individuals and corporates in law enforcement, agriculture, mining, oil and gas industry, sports, media, for delivering packages and might even begin to carry passengers in the near future.

The government of India has lately come out with a new Policy to govern the flying of drones in the country. This policy aims to regulate the operations in a manner to ensure a high level of safety for the aviation sector while at the same time facilitating commercial usage of drones also. The possibilities of usage of drones are endless and will only be limited by the creative potential of its users. However, along with the right kind of users, another category of rogue users has also come forth who are coming up with anti-social, nefarious and negative uses of this technology. To counter all this a number of Anti-Drone technologies have also evolved. How the government is able to keep a tab on all the creative churnings in this area by tweaking its policy at regular intervals, only time will tell. But the fact remains that this new technology is indeed a game changer and its right usage can not only cut down on time and costs but also help in optimal decision making.

( 247 words )

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Author

Pankaj Kumar Singh

IPS  ( Raj : 1988 )

Additional Director General of Police, Rajasthan

Jaipur, RAJASTHAN.

( Published in the Apr- June 2019 issue of  "The Indian Police Journal", publication of BPR&D)