As unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, pose increasing challenges to homeland security, the need for advanced airspace awareness solutions has never been more critical. The ease with which drones can be deployed, coupled with their potential for misuse, has prompted urgent calls for enhanced airspace awareness and effective counter-UAS (C-UAS) strategies.
Amidst these growing concerns, Echodyne, pioneers of innovative radar technology, offers capabilities with the potential to reinvent airspace security and protection.
The Drone Dilemma: A Dual-Edged Sword
Drone technology is a double-edged sword. On one side, drones offer incredible opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and public safety. They can be used for infrastructure inspection, disaster response and package delivery. On the other side, bad actors can exploit drones for nefarious purposes. This dichotomy creates a growing and complex challenge for homeland security professionals: how to harness the benefits of drone technology while mitigating the risks.
Congressional hearings in February underscore the gravity of this emerging threat. Lawmakers, industry experts, and security officials voiced concerns about the potential for drones to be weaponized, used for surveillance or deployed against critical infrastructure. The “New Jersey drone crisis,” where thousands of drone sightings were reported in a short period, highlighted the public’s unease and the difficulties authorities face in distinguishing between legitimate and potentially illicit drone activity.
These concerns are not merely hypothetical. The arrest of an individual attempting to use a drone to attack Nashville’s power grid serves as a chilling example of the domestic threat posed by drones. This incident underscores the ease with which readily available technology can be weaponized and deployed against critical infrastructure to disrupt essential services and endanger lives. As Representative Cohen noted, these incidents highlight why “we must ensure that our laws and regulations keep pace with this technology.”
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has further provided a stark demonstration of the disruptive and destructive capabilities of drones. The widespread use of drones for reconnaissance, targeting and direct attacks has transformed the battlefield and highlighted the vulnerability of both military and civilian assets. This conflict serves as a wake-up call for homeland security professionals about the need for robust defensive measures to protect against similar threats here at home.
The Risk-Reward Dichotomy
The hearings also laid bare the limitations of current C-UAS strategies, particularly in civilian contexts. The cost of deploying effective countermeasures can be prohibitive, and the potential for collateral damage raises serious concerns.
The Defensive Disadvantage
A C-UAS conference occurring across D.C. simultaneously with the hearings, Leo McCloskey, VP of Marketing at Echodyne, highlighted some of the challenges faced by defensive systems including the high costs of effectors, probability of defeat, number of systems required and the potential for collateral damage.
This last point merits further discussion. The use of kinetic countermeasures, such as shooting down drones, could pose a risk to people and property on the ground. Even non-kinetic measures, like jamming, could disrupt communications or navigation systems and lead to unintended consequences.
On the flip side, the cost of loss can be higher still. Should an attack on critical infrastructure be successful, the larger costs from communities and cities losing access to utility services for long periods could be devastating and linger far beyond the immediate negative aspects of an attack. In many ways, the costs associated with not successfully mitigating an attack can be much, much higher – and make inaction the highest cost option.
When thinking through potential countermeasures, it’s important to consider all the possible costs of getting it wrong.
Engagement Economics
The concept of “cost” in the C-UAS context has several layers. McCloskey elaborated on the asymmetric financial aspect of drone defense. McClosely explained how drone defenders face a significant disadvantage in terms of “engagement economics.” It is often far cheaper and easier for attackers to deploy multiple drones than it is for defenders to intercept them all. According to McCloskey, “”From the attacker’s perspective, the cost advantage is significant. I can buy five drones knowing you’ll likely only be able to intercept four. The cost of getting one drone through is very small compared to your overall defense expenditure.”
Costs aside, from a technical standpoint, even when systems are in place, they have limitations including failing to identify some unauthorized drone activity. As Mr. Chris McLaughlin, Executive Vice President of Operations, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) explained to Congress, “To be clear, we’ve identified about 5,000 (drones). That does not mean that’s the total universe that’s been in our area, because all technology has limitations.”
Detecting a drone is only half the battle, though. The other is identifying who’s controlling it and their intent. McLaughlin pointed out that industry needs “better technology to detect, track and identify drones because that helps us classify whether we’re dealing with a threat or someone who may be careless or someone who may be clueless.”
To address these challenges, Echodyne has developed a suite of advanced radar technologies designed to provide comprehensive airspace awareness and effective C-UAS capabilities.
Echodyne’s Response: Accuracy, Classification, and Cognitive Capabilities
Recognizing that effective airspace protection requires more than just detection, Echodyne has engineered its systems to provide a comprehensive understanding of the aerial environment. This enables authorities to not only identify potential threats but also to assess their nature and respond appropriately. McCloskey explained the company’s approach centers on three key areas: accuracy, classification and cognitive capabilities.
Accuracy
Echodyne’s radars provide precise location data. This eliminates ambiguity and ensures that operators know exactly where potential threats are in the airspace. This essential level of accuracy not only includes where an object is located, but also it helps to distinguish between legitimate drone operations and potentially hostile activity.
Classification
In the world of homeland security, accurate and reliable data remains paramount. Using sophisticated machine learning algorithms built on recurrent neural network deep learning models, Echodyne’s radars can differentiate between various objects in the sky, from birds to planes to drones. This crucial capability reduces false alarms and focuses on genuine threats.
“Using machine learning, the radar’s classification engine identifies objects in the airspace, allowing operators to focus on what’s important,” McCloskey explained.
Echodyne’s radars generate real-time tracks with precise location details at high speeds, supporting rapid decision-making in critical situations. This level of data fidelity is essential for both human operators and AI-driven systems.
Cognitive Capabilities
Echodyne’s cognitive radar technology allows for adaptive scanning and integration with other sensors. This enables the system to prioritize areas of interest, maximize detection ranges and respond dynamically to changing threats.
World-Class Tech and Integration
All of these impressive capabilities are made possible by Echodyne’s unique Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) technology. MESA allows for precise steering of radar energy without the need for phase shifters or moving parts. The result: a compact, low-power, and cost-effective radar solution that delivers performance previously only available in much larger and more expensive systems.
Echodyne’s radars are not just hardware marvels; they’re also powered by sophisticated software that continually improves their performance. Regular software updates enhance features and extend capabilities, ensuring that the radar systems evolve to meet new challenges.
Equally important as Echodyne’s own tech is its ability to seamlessly integrate with the tech of others as well as with existing security infrastructure. The radars utilize industry-standard protocols and offer multiple data output options. This makes them compatible with a wide range of sensor fusion and command and control (C2) platforms. Why does this matter? In a world of shrinking budgets, security professionals can still continue to leverage their existing investments while enhancing their airspace awareness capabilities with Echodyne’s radars.
That said, while technology plays a crucial role in C-UAS efforts, it is not the only piece of the puzzle. McCloskey emphasized that layered defense, only when combined with a collaborative approach, will move the industry forward.
Collaboration: Key to Airspace Protection
McCloskey and other experts have emphasized the need for a more collaborative approach to airspace protection that involves government agencies, law enforcement, critical infrastructure operators and the private sector. “The power of the network is equal to the number of users. Squared,” McCloskey noted. Some key elements of this collaborative approach must include extending authorities, better sharing information, standardizing reporting and integrating with UAS Traffic Management (UTM).
Extending Authorities
Currently, laws from Title 18, including the Pen Trap Statute, The Wiretap Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, legislation to protect U.S. citizen’s privacy, written well before drones were an issue, apply to C-UAS technologies. Thus far, Congress has only granted affirmative authority to a few federal agencies to detect, track, identify and mitigate drone threats.Granting state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement (SLTT) and critical infrastructure operators the authority to detect, track, and identify drones operating in their vicinity would expand the network of protection against rogue drones.
Information Sharing
Creating a culture of transparent information sharing between jurisdictions and agencies, as well as providing resources for better communication, would allow for a more comprehensive understanding of airspace activity. Drawing parallels to how law enforcement agencies have had to adapt to cross-jurisdictional challenges in the physical world, this collaborative information sharing would allow for similar coordination in the aerial domain. The power of networked information, it was argued, could be the great equalizer in the face of the attacker’s inherent advantages.
Standardized Reporting
The current lack of standardized reporting makes it difficult to accurately assess the scope and nature of drone-related threats. Developing standardized reporting and metrics for drone incidents would enable better analysis of trends and patterns. Improving the quality and consistency of drone incident reporting is essential for effective risk assessment and resource allocation.
UTM Integration
Integrating UTM and C-UAS data can provide valuable insights into authorized drone activity. This enhanced situational awareness would allow authorities to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized drone operations, and then to focus their attention on only the potentially malicious or unauthorized operation. This integration will require close collaboration between government agencies and private sector UTM service providers.
The Path Forward: Embracing Technology for a Safer Future
As the skies become increasingly crowded with drones, it is essential to invest in the tools and strategies necessary to maintain airspace awareness and respond effectively to potential drone threats. McCloskey believes that to further strengthen airspace protection efforts, policymakers and security professionals should consider the following recommendations:
- Leverage Existing Frameworks: Utilize existing sector coordinating councils to assess risks and develop tailored protection strategies for critical infrastructure sectors.
- Adopt a Risk-Based Approach: Categorize critical infrastructure based on risk level and implement appropriate protection measures, ranging from basic awareness to advanced C-UAS capabilities.
- Address Legal Ambiguities: Continue to advocate for clear legal authorities for C-UAS activities. This will ensure that law enforcement and other authorized entities have the tools they need to respond effectively to drone threats.
- Promote Testing and Evaluation: Encourage the development and testing of C-UAS technologies in realistic environments to make sure they are safe, effective and compatible with existing infrastructure.
By prioritizing innovation, collaboration, and responsible regulation, we can harness the benefits of drone technology while safeguarding our communities and critical infrastructure. Echodyne’s advanced radar systems, through their accuracy, classification and cognitive capabilities, provide the required balance needed to navigate the complexities of the modern airspace.
The challenges posed by drones to homeland security remain significant, but not insurmountable. By leveraging innovative technologies like Echodyne’s radar solutions, fostering collaboration between stakeholders and implementing sound policies, we can create a safer, more secure airspace for all.
By: Dawn Zoldi (Colonel, USAF Ret.)