Army Calls For Drone EMP

Army Calls For Drone EMP Could Drive Security Applications.

Army Calls For Drone EMP – Army called on drone mitigation developers to develop anti-drone solutions that can be used to disable drones in a wide range of applications.

While Army is most concerned with protecting soldiers on the battlefield, electro magnetic pulse technology being developed by several companies, including Melbourne-based Platypus Research and Development, has definite high security applications.

Platypus Research and Development took part in the Australian Army’s innovation, securing Army funding to further develop their electromagnetic pulse (EMP) drone disruption technology.

Platypus operations manager, Simon Lederer, said the company’s technology emitted a powerful EMP to disrupt or destroy a drone’s electronics.

Called the ‘bug zapper’, the Platypus device is a trailer-mounted array of printed circuit boards that directs a targeted high-powered radio frequency field at a drone.

The bug zapper is relatively compact and low current draw thanks to the brevity of its electromagnetic pulse, allowing it to run on a car battery.

Importantly, the technology can be scaled down or up, providing protection against drone swarms with a broad area of effect. Platypus says in defence applications its solution is ideal for forward operating bases, mobile ops and permanent defence sites, but there are many key pieces of infrastructure that would benefit from the technology.

“Any electronic device you point the bug zapper at will get fried,” Lederer said.

Another Australian company working in the field of drone defence is Queanbeyan-based Codarra Advanced Systems.

Army Calls For Drone EMP

Codarra’s managing director, Warren Williams, said its latest solution offers 360-degree drone detection and a significantly longer range.

“Our product will give a soldier the exact location of the drone, its distance, and its path, as well as an indication as to the drone’s role,” he said.

The system looks at a drone’s radio signal signature, allowing it to infer details about its activity and purpose.

Williams said Codarra engineers were working on strengthening the hardware to withstand tough environmental conditions and improve software to simplify maintenance and updates.

The ongoing development of local anti-drone technologies is likely to have wide appeal within the defence sector and offers the promise of automated detection and response solutions for wider security applications.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the capabilities and threat posed by low-cost drone technologies, which are capable of loitering and delivering targeted munitions capable of destroying armoured vehicles.

You can learn more about Platypus Research and Development here, discover Codarra Advanced Systems here, or read more SEN news here.

“Army’s Call For Drone EMP Could Drive Security Applications.”