Las Vegas Fire and Rescue tests out Dronekiller
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue crews were recently given the opportunity to observe a new technological solution designed to thwart potential acts of terror using drones.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue crews were recently given the opportunity to observe a new technological solution designed to thwart potential acts of terror using drones. DroneKiller, which is already in use by the military, is a standalone handheld armament developed specifically to disable a drone mid-flight before it can cause any damage.
Bomb technicians from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue and Nellis Air Force Base were treated to a demonstration by manufacturer IXI Technology on Wednesday. The device, which looks like something from the film Starship Troopers, uses software-defined radio technology to detect and disable class-1 and class-2 drones, with no need for broadband jamming. It has a range of up to 800 metres and an active mode of up to four hours.
“It’s just a matter of time before [drones] are going to be used as weapons because they are stealth,” said Las Vegas Fire and Rescue’s Tim Szymanski. “These can come across a field very low to the ground.”
It is hoped that equipping authorities with DroneKiller will head off an evolving and concerning threat before it can become widespread.