By David Klepper
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drones are harassing airports and plaguing local police. They are trespassing nuclear power plants and prisons. On the battlefield, they can kill.
But there’s often not much you can do to stop a drone when it poses a threat or wanders in unwelcome places other than shooting down devices that could pose additional dangers.
That’s starting to change. Cheap and easily modified unmanned aviation vehicles have become part of everyday life and become a tool for both government and bad actors. It is used for gatherings of intelligence, surveillance, obstruction, terrorism, and more. Concerns about their misuse have driven technical scrambling for a way to shut down devices in the air.
“The enemy can use ready-made drones purchased for $500 to find out what’s going on at US nuclear weapons bases,” said Zachary Cullenborn, a London-based national security consultant and drone warfare expert. “China, Russia, Iran: If they haven’t done that, they’re stupid.”
Military drones are already powerful war weapons and are used to track enemy movements and bring about attacks. But they are also increasingly under threat at home. Anti-drone systems have also had a major promise in recent years at airports, water treatment plants, military facilities and public events targeted by drones.
An increase in incidents involving unmanned aircraft, like the waves of sightings reported last year in New Jersey, will lead to more research and investment in the most effective ways to combat drones, and hopefully prevent the following injuries:
D-Fend Solutions Counter Drone Technology is demonstrated on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Reston, Virginia (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
D-Fend Solutions Counter Drone Technology is demonstrated on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Reston, Virginia (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
D-Fend Solutions Counter Drone Technology is demonstrated on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Reston, Virginia (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
D-Fend Solutions Counter Drone Technology is demonstrated on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Reston, Virginia (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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D-Fend Solutions Counter Drone Technology is demonstrated on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Reston, Virginia (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Find a safe way to fight drones
Some systems work by firing projectiles to destroy it. Others jam the radio frequencies used to control the drones, landing them in place or returning to their origins. Another approach involves using other drones to fire the net on the problematic device.
Every technique has its advantages and disadvantages.
Packing a drone is very effective and relatively easy from a technical standpoint. But it’s a dull tool. It interferes with drone signals as well as phones, emergency responders, air traffic control and other electromagnetic signals used in the Internet.
The most basic anti-drone measurement is called exercise defense. This involves destroying or disabling missiles, bullets, nets, or other projectiles on the device.
However, movement systems become dangerous by creating a threat that fragments can fall into people or property, or that missiles fired by unmanned aerial vehicles could instead miss or attack civilians. For example, in 2022, 12 people were injured in Saudi Arabia after defeating a drone launched by the Houthi rebels near the Yemeni border.
Hacking to a drone
Israeli company D-Fend Solutions has created a system called EnforCeair that allows operators to hack into hostile drones and take over their control. The equipment looks like a large computer router and can be set up on a tripod or vehicle or carried with a backpack.
Like other anti-drone systems, D-Fend products also detect drones that enter a given area, allowing operators to fly friendly devices while disabling others.
In a demonstration of technology on an empty playground outside Washington, the system quickly hijacked a drone run by one of D-Fend technicians as it entered a monitored area.
“We detect the drone, take control and land it,” said Jeffrey Starr, the company’s chief marketing officer.
By safely landing the aircraft, authorities can research the devices. This is an important advantage for law enforcement or national security investigations. Additionally, in the event of harmless mistakes involving enthusiasts, the drone can be returned to the owner.
However, anti-drone systems with hacking invading aircraft may not work with military drones as they are equipped with larger cyber defense.
Anti-drone efforts may be approaching mainstream
National security experts predict that a variety of technologies to counter drones will soon become popular and will be used to protect sensitive buildings, pipelines, ports and public areas. But before that happens, federal law needs to keep up with the threat.
“Most of the laws we deal with were written for manned aerials,” said DJ Smith, a senior technical surveillance agent at the Virginia State Police Department of Criminal Investigation.
Smith, who oversees the use of drones in his department, said the new federal rules should come with public awareness campaigns, so enthusiasts and commercial drone users understand the law and the responsibility for using drones. Authorities also said they would need greater strength to use the system to track suspicious drones and take action against them when they pose a threat.
“We want to detect, track, identify,” Smith said.
Federal law now limits how local and state police can use anti-drone systems. Some lawmakers are trying to change that.
“We’re a Florida Republican and sponsor of laws designed to use technology to combat drones at large public events,” said Rep. Collie Mills.
Introduced this month, the bill will provide local law enforcement with the ability to use anti-drone systems approved by the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.
Original release: May 27, 2025, 1:26pm
