Microwaves knock out drones

Author: EIS Release Date: Feb 28, 2020

Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) – an agency of the Defence Ministry – has used microwaves to zap drones, reports the Nikkei.

 

ATLA put seven commercially available drones – three medium-size devices and four small ones – into a room shielded from ambient radio waves.

 

A prototype “high-power microwave generation system,” was used to scramble their electronics from a distance of up to 10 metres.

 

Three drones suffered communications glitches, three had sensor problems and one had a power malfunction.

 

The system sweeps a microwave beam 45 degrees left and right. This allows it to quickly switch targets with no mechanical adjustments. 

 

ATLA envisions installing four units on a possible target to cover all directions and protect against attacks by multiple drones.