Security Sales & Integration May 2022 - 44

Counter Drone Tactics
Systems Integration
primarily on repairing and upgrading existing
utilities - roads, railway lines, bridges and
telecommunications systems. Although this
investment was necessary, it failed to allocate
significant funds toward addressing the newfound
threats of the 21st century, including
those posed by malicious drone usage.
surroundings and work together to create standard
operating procedures coupled with using
more sophisticated drone detection technology.
7. NEW U.S. STANDARDS FOR DRONE
DETECTION OR MITIGATION COMING
It may be one of the hottest topics in airflight,
yet it's unlikely that the FAA will declare a
standard for drone detection or mitigation this
year. The good news is that the regulators have
begun testing technologies at Atlantic City airport
in December 2021. Additionally, we will
see the agency strengthen law enforcement's
ability to declare flight restrictions around critical
national events, which will enhance counter-drone
programs.
These tests will ultimately expand to five airports
intending to build a national standard.
The selected sample airports were designed to
be a representative cross-sample. They included
significant international gateways like Seattle-Tacoma
Int'l Airport and smaller regional
hubs like Syracuse, N.Y.
We will see more options for
mobile airspace security to
provide temporary counter-drone
capabilities for
events, large gatherings in
venues like sports stadiums,
parades and more.
To an extent, this is understandable. The
passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
was a fraught process. The final form was dramatically
smaller than the original $2.3 trillion
package proposed by the Biden Administration
in March. As the dust begins to settle, we
can expect forward-thinking legislators to advance
new funding proposals aimed at shoring
up anti-drone capabilities within cities. Other
national governments will undoubtedly follow
suit, driven by national security and counter-terrorism
concerns.
6. DRUG DRONES WILL TAKE A HIT
A drug-filled drone headed for a Virginia
prison missed its target and landed outside
a school in September last year, making national
headlines. The drone, which was carrying
a package filled with tobacco, marijuana,
cellphones and a USB-C converter cable, was
certainly not the first. International correctional
facilities claim that drones are dropping
contraband to prison inmates at an increasing
rate.
Dedrone's data shows a 217% increase in
drone sightings from pre-COVID times. This
risk causes severe disruption to operations and
threatens the safety of both inmates and officers.
In 2022, it's anticipated illegal drone drops will
subside as more facilities gain control of their
44
Security Sales & Integration MAY 2022
As the dust settles, we can
expect forward-thinking
legislators to advance new
funding proposals aimed
at shoring up anti-drone
capabilities within cities.
What's Yet to Come
It's fair to say we are still living in the Wild West
of the drone era as the industry moves toward
maturity. Eventually, cities and businesses will
be required to monitor all drones in their airspace.
As a result, security teams will need to
be able not just to spot drones but differentiate
between friend and foe. With investment in
technology and the right security team, we can
regain control of our skies.
For security integrators, it may be time to
investigate further and partner with a counter-drone
specialist to expand your portfolio of
offerings. That's why in 2021 forward-thinking
PSA Security Network added Dedrone to
its Managed Services Provider Program. SSI
MARY-LOU SMULDERS is CMO for
Dedrone.
securitysales.com
NESTERENKO_MAX/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Security Sales & Integration May 2022
