The United States government purchases over a hundred poratble drone jammers to protect government facilities, property and personnel. The jammer interferes with the drone’s radio controls, avoiding dangerous alternatives involving bullets and other projectiles.
According to Defensetech, Battelle Labs sells its portable drone jammer DroneDefender to the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. The 4G jammer , which looks like a cross between an old school TV antenna and an assault rifle, can stop drones more than 400 meters away.
The DroneDefender works by directing radio energy to the drone, thus disrupting the connection between the drone and the operator. The jammer operates on common industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency bands. The 2.4 GHz frequency, one of the most common drone control frequencies, is part of the ISM band.
The jammer can also interfere with GPS signals, an important feature of homing drones based on satellite navigation guidelines. Once stuck, the drone can then be steered to hover in place.
DroneDefender’s “soft kill” approach of disabling the drone by cutting commands and navigation links is preferable to a more kinetic approach – a gun loaded with birdhot, for example. A flow of radio wave energy will not harm people or cause property damage.
The system weighs fifteen pounds, including a battery backpack, and can be used continuously for up to five hours
DoD and DHS purchase a total of 100 DroneDefenders, but will not discuss the specific unit cost or the agencies that would receive them.