Security Sales & Integration May 2022 - 43

conflicts will be defined by bomb-dropping
unmanned vehicles and their counter technologies.
Barely a month into the new year,
we witnessed the drone strike on the airport
and oil facilities in Abu Dhabi, escalating civil
war in the region. The U.S., among other nations,
is wise to the threat and is gearing up
anti-drone programs amid fears of a resurgence
of terrorism on U.S. soil following its removal
of troops from Afghanistan.
Ukraine has recently employed the Turkish-made
Bayraktar TB2 drone against Russian
forces, delivering catastrophic losses to
the enemy. Although the Bayraktar TB2 has
been employed in smaller conflicts, most notably
in Ethiopia and Azerbaijan, the recent
Russian invasion of Ukraine promises to be its
biggest engagement yet. With a low cost (just
$1-$2M compared to an estimated $32M for
the Reaper) and potent capabilities, it has the
potential to play a decisive role in Europe's
largest conventional war since 1945.
It's not just the military-grade drones that
pose a threat. With their potential for hostile
surveillance, weapons delivery, and even
detonation, small and midsized drones have
become an easy tool for nefarious activity,
like the Iraqi prime minister's recent assassination
attempt, which involved an explosive-laden
UAV.
2. MORE EYES IN THE SKY
Though DJI is the undisputed leader in commercial
drone manufacturing, as drones sales
continued to increase throughout the pandemic,
last year we saw DJI's global commercial
market share drop by 15% according to
DroneAnalyst as new players enter the scene.
Numerous nimble startups are backed with
venture-capital cash. They can afford to undercut
the Chinese drone-maker, offering
consumer-friendly prices that can comfortably
compete with the price tag of DJI's latest model,
the Mavic 3.
3. REMOTE AREAS WILL
EMBRACE DRONE TECHNOLOGY
When they aren't causing havoc by appearing
in places they aren't supposed to be, drones are
proving to fulfill essential roles in progressive
cities and rural areas alike. Drones can help
with logistics in regions where transportation
networks are battling against nature, like monitoring
road damage or inspecting bridges.
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They will also prove vital for moving heavy
loads in areas with poor road connections. As
a result, expect to see more of them in sparsely
populated areas like the mountains.
4. DRONE DETECTION BECOMES
INTEGRAL TO URBAN POLICING
With the number of drones in our skies increasing,
driven by enthusiasts and commercial
users alike, law enforcement will begin to
integrate counter-drone solutions into their
security infrastructure. Municipalities will
typically manage these systems as a utility,
offering them as a service to law enforcement
and other relevant agencies to deliver
meaningful security benefits. With access to
real-time data about drone activity, cities will
gain valuable intelligence about potential cybersecurity
and terrorism incidents during
their earliest stages, thereby affording them
greater time to act.
We will also see more options for mobile
airspace security, allowing law enforcement
and government officials to provide temporary
counter-drone capabilities for events, large
gatherings, parades and more. This level of
highly agile, adaptive and temporary monitoring
will be a boon for those areas where airspace
restrictions are fluid.
5. NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS WILL
STEP UP COUNTER-DRONE FUNDING
The Biden Administration's flagship $1.2
trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which
was signed into law last November, focused
Using innovative
smart airspace
security
technology,
integrators
and their enduser
clients
can minimize
and mitigate
security impact
by securing their
airspace.
MAY 2022 Security Sales & Integration 43
DIANAGRYTSKU/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration May 2022

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