French firm Malou Tech has developed the Interceptor MP200 in response to the need to prevent drones from flying over nuclear plants.
In the above segment shown on French television, Malou Tech pilot Philippe Dardini uses the Interceptor to catch a DJI Phantom piloted by Philippe Dubus, the company’s CEO. The interceptor is a much larger and faster drone, with six rotors, and the net it carries looks thick and heavy.
Concerned at the new technology, French officials have asked scientists and companies to develop ways to monitor and detect intruding drones and their remote-control pilots; analyse and track their flight paths; and ultimately neutralise the drones, either temporarily or permanently, with the least collateral damage possible.
Books closed on bids for the drone interception system last week, but so far it seems those lofty goals have not been realised. Indeed, the maker of the six-bladed drone with the net demonstrated yesterday for an Associated Press photographer has not even bothered to put itself forward.
‘This is a technology phenomenon, not an aeronautical phenomenon’, Philippe Dubus, head of drone maker Malou Tech, told the AP, adding ‘within 18 months, whatever they come up with will be obsolete already.’
If the interceptor doesn’t work, Malou Tech has a kamikaze drone to destroy the intruder.
Sources: YouTube; DailyMail
Quite the silliest solution I have seen to address this increasingly common problem. There is no way you are ever going to have a large UAS with a net or to have a Kamikaze drone near or attached to every potential security threatened site. Dare I suggest this was a stunt to attract attention to a bid for inclusion in the next James Bond movie, not a solution to the most pressing problem facing the Controlled and Uncontrolled airspace management systems worldwide.
By the time a bad guy platform penetrates a no-go zone and is on the way to it’s target, it’s too late to do anything about it.
This so-called solution would take too long to perform an intercept from recognition time, to response time, to flight time, to intercept time.
What’s needed is an array of sensors creating a dome of detection about 500 meters out from a target. Then, countermeasures can be employed…but, not like this.