All posts tagged: antidrone

Pentagon Weighs Anti-Drone Laser Weapon Deployment In DC To Fortify Airspace

Pentagon Weighs Anti-Drone Laser Weapon Deployment In DC To Fortify Airspace

We outlined a glaring security gap in U.S. counter-drone defenses well before the U.S.-Iran conflict erupted one month ago. At the time, we specifically pointed out that data centers are largely unprepared for drone threats. We believe the Gulf conflict – after Iran bombed multiple data centers and military bases – has likely pushed the federal government into panic mode, accelerating efforts to deploy counter-drone systems around high-value targets across the homeland, whether military bases or civilian infrastructure. This brings us to a New York Times report from Tuesday morning outlining how the Department of War is considering deploying anti-drone laser weapons near Fort McNair in Washington, DC, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reside, following recent reports of suspicious activity and ongoing concerns about drone attacks on the homeland. The report cited sources who “requested anonymity” and said the Army is discussing deploying laser weapons that would add an extra layer of security to some of the world’s most secure airspace across the Washington-Baltimore region. The Federal Aviation Administration …

Ukraine’s anti-drone tech is in high demand as Iran attacks its neighbors

Ukraine’s anti-drone tech is in high demand as Iran attacks its neighbors

KYIV, Ukraine — As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, Ukraine could prove to be an invaluable trove of battle-tested expertise from its own bitter and costly fight against Russia. After months of pressure and hardened rhetoric from Washington aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Kyiv is now also fielding requests for help as Iran’s Gulf neighbors grapple with the modern reality of drone warfare. Hotels, airports and residential buildings have been hit in cities across the Gulf, wreaking havoc as Iran targets the U.S. military bases hosted by its neighbors. It’s a picture all too familiar in Ukraine, whose skies are swarmed by hundreds of Russian drones on a nightly basis, many of them of the Shahed type designed in Iran. A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to launch a drone interceptor in the Donetsk region on Jan. 22.Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP via Getty Images Kyiv’s forces deflect the majority of them every night, not with expensive air defense missiles — as many countries in the Middle East have done — but with much …

Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico

Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico

Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times, The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to conduct an anti-drone “high-energy laser test” in New Mexico over the weekend. The announcement comes a little more than a week after the FAA had to suddenly close airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas, because of what the agency at the time called “special security reasons.” The Department of War (DOW) shot what it thought was a “seemingly threatening” drone flying within military airspace, the Pentagon, the FAA, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a joint statement at the time. A House committee stated that the FAA’s closure resulted from the Pentagon using a “high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system” to shoot down a CBP drone operating near the U.S.–Mexico border. The incident, along with another Pentagon drone incursion the same month, faced criticism in Congress. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat member on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, called for an independent investigation into the incidents. Following congressional pushback, the Pentagon is now conducting anti-drone tests …

‘Pew Pew’: The Chinese Companies Marketing Anti-Drone Weapons on TikTok

‘Pew Pew’: The Chinese Companies Marketing Anti-Drone Weapons on TikTok

“Pew, pew, pew!” a woman wearing sneakers and high-waisted pink trousers says cheerfully in a video uploaded to TikTok. She is standing on what appears to be an industrial rooftop while demonstrating how to use a black device resembling an oversized laser tag gun. “Jamming gun, good,” she adds, flashing a thumbs up. “Contact me!” These days, nearly any product imaginable is available for purchase on TikTok straight from Chinese factories, ranging from industrial chemicals to mystical crystals and custom pilates reformers. The app’s offerings, it appears, now also extend to drone jammers and other drone-related hardware with clear military and security applications. In recent months, TikTok has become an improbable showroom for a drone economy that powers conflicts like Russia’s war in Ukraine. Eager to reach customers however they can, small Chinese drone manufacturers are publicly broadcasting tools of modern warfare, including anti-drone rifles, jammers, and sensors, but presenting them with the breezy cadence of consumer lifestyle advertising. The result is a surreal combination of ecommerce and battlefield combat. WIRED reviewed dozens of videos …

Are lasers the future of anti-drone warfare? | Weapons News

Are lasers the future of anti-drone warfare? | Weapons News

A drone appears on the grainy, gray-scaled image of the thermal camera. This is the type of drone used by groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Yemeni Houthis. Suddenly, a blinding whiteness overtakes the image. Seconds later, the wing of the drone snaps off, sending it tumbling down, exploding when it hits the ground. This is a video shared by the Israeli Ministry of Defence and arms producer Rafael, a hint towards the future of anti-drone warfare. In it, they are demonstrating one of their new weapons: a high-energy laser designed to take down aerial threats such as drones, but also rockets and even artillery shells. It’s called Iron Beam. Israel claims they have shot down several enemy drones with it already. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Laser weapons have been a dream for arms manufacturers and militaries since the invention of the laser in 1960. So far, they have remained a dream. But now they seem to be on the brink of a breakthrough. Technological advances have made lasers more …

UK prisons to learn from Ukraine’s anti-drone measures to fight jail drops | UK News

UK prisons to learn from Ukraine’s anti-drone measures to fight jail drops | UK News

The UK wants to learn from Ukraine’s war time experience to tackle the threat of drones carrying weapons and drugs into British prisons, the deputy prime minister has said on a trip to the country. David Lammy has been in Ukraine to see how anti-drone measures used against Russian forces can be applied to UK prisons, as part of a trip to mark a one hundred year security partnership between the two nations. “I’ve tasked British prisons with learning from Ukraine’s drone expertise,” he said. “We know prison drones pose a direct threat to national security and that’s why we’re acting decisively to tackle these gangs by investing millions in security and cutting-edge technology.” Image: Mr Lammy is looking into how Ukraine’s anti-drone measures could prevent UK prison drops. Pic: Reuters There were 1,712 drone incidents in prisons across England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, a 43% rise on the previous 12 months, and a new peak. Since 2021, drone incidents over prisons are up 1140%. In the Autumn, Sky News witnessed …