[Global Issue+] 'Anti-Drone' Technology Spreading Worldwide... Also Capturing North Korean Drones

Various Technologies Including Anti-Drone Guns and Suicide Drones
Actively Used in Ukraine, India, and the Middle East

The 'Drone Jamming Gun' that disrupts radio waves around drones to shoot them down. [Image source= nqdefense.com]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Following Russia's airstrike on Ukraine using Iranian drones, and North Korean drones flying over Seoul becoming an international topic, 2022 can rightly be called the "Year of the Drone" as drones dominated both domestic and international news. They have evolved from simple filming devices into formidable tactical weapons.

As defending airspace from drones has become a critical security issue, the so-called "Anti-drone" technology, known worldwide for capturing drones, is being significantly developed. Various technologies have emerged, from "Jamming Guns" that disrupt radio signals around drones to self-destruct drones that collide with and explode on enemy drones, and the anti-drone market is expected to expand greatly.

Ukrainian Military Announces Development of Self-Destruct Anti-Drone

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 1st (local time), CNN reported that the Ukrainian Air Force is developing an air-to-air self-destruct drone that collides with and explodes on Russian drones to counter Russian drone airstrikes. It is known that the Ukrainian military has purchased as many as 1,400 small drones for this purpose.

These drones are planned to be operated using Starlink, SpaceX's satellite communication system currently used in Ukraine. Starlink is gaining attention as a stable communication network for drone operations and ballistic missile launches in Ukraine, where major communication networks have been destroyed due to the war.

Despite various U.S. air defense system supports, Ukraine is separately developing self-destruct drones for anti-drone purposes because small drones are difficult to intercept with existing air defense systems. Small unmanned aerial vehicles have a wingspan of about 2 meters, making them much smaller and harder to identify than fighter jets or helicopters, and they fly at low altitudes below 3,000 meters, making them difficult to detect by radar or visually.

As a result, drones have mainly been captured by throwing nets or shot down from the ground using jamming guns or laser weapons, but as drones have become smaller recently, ground interception has become more challenging, leading to the development of drones specifically designed to capture other drones. In the past, trained eagles were also used to snatch drones, but concerns about using endangered species in combat and the risk of eagles being sucked into aircraft engines when operated alongside fighter jets have limited their use.

Active Use in Middle East and India Border Areas... Drones Become Essential in Conflict Zones

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The reason anti-drone technology is gaining attention is due to the high utility of drones. Drones have become essential weapons not only in the ongoing war in Ukraine but also in most conflict zones worldwide, making anti-drone technology increasingly important.

According to The New York Times (NYT), the "Switchblade" drone, a self-destruct drone weapon provided by the U.S. military to Ukraine, was used thousands of times during the 2001 Afghanistan war. Drones have proven especially valuable in mountainous terrain and areas where friend-or-foe identification is difficult.

Drones are also actively used in the Himalayan region, where the borders of India, Pakistan, and China converge. According to Indian local media such as the Hindustan Times, the Indian Border Security Force recently shot down 22 drones in the Punjab area near the Pakistan border and successfully seized 317 kg of drugs that were being trafficked via these drones. As drug and weapon smuggling using drones surges, security agencies worldwide are accelerating the development of anti-drone technologies.

With the advancement of anti-drone technology, drone chases are expected to be frequently witnessed in most conflict zones around the world in the future.