Secret Service Testing Drones, How To Disrupt Their Flying

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

Mar 10, 1:25 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Secret Service is conducting middle-of-the-night drone flights near the White House in secret tests to devise a defense against the unmanned aircraft, The Associated Press has learned.

The government-controlled drones will be flown between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. during the next several weeks over parts of Washington -airspace that's usually off limits as a no-fly zone, according to a U.S. official briefed on the plans.

The official said the Secret Service is testing drones both for its own use in law enforcement and protection, and to identify how to defend against hostile drones. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. The Secret Service has said details are classified.

Among the tests is the use of signal-jamming technology to thwart control of a remotely piloted aircraft, the official said.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SECRET_SERVICE_DRONES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-10-13-25-35

[RoccoR5955]

1. This is simple.

You just have to jam the frequency. This should not be a major task for the Secret Service. With their resources I could do it in a heartbeat. I think that this is just an excuse for some of the boys to have toys to play with late into the night.

[eggplant]

9. Doesn't work against autonomous drones. n/t

[RoccoR5955]

10. Explain to me

How frequency jamming does not work on autonomous drones?
I could use the education.

[Xithras]

12. Because autonomous quads don't use a frequency.

Autonomous means they move without remote input. I.e., the quadcopter is programmed to travel from point A to point B without any sort of remote control or monitoring.

My son has two quads capable of autonomous flight, and each is capable of flying several miles without any input. In his case, it's programmed as an autoreturn feature...if the quadcopter loses its connection to "home", it will automatically fly itself back to its designated landing place for recovery. There are plenty of other things it can be used for though.

[eggplant]

16. I'll try.

What most people call "drones" today (in the amateur sense, not the military) are just the modern version of radio controlled (RC) planes. Think "drone = helicopter." Someone on the ground has a control stick with a transmitter, and there is a radio receiver in the plane (or drone) in this case. The drone is driven around and has no intelligence of any kind built in. In fancy ones, there are cameras on the drones that broadcast video back to the driver, so they have a first-person view to spy on things, take beautiful photos, or just to not crash into things. Those types of drones an be taken down by frequency jamming, although it can be defeated with enough fancy hardware (but then we're moving closer to military than civilian).

An autonomous drone is one that is given commands either prior to taking off or in-flight. The drone has its own sensors (cameras, GPS, dead reckoning) and determines for itself the best way to accomplish its mission. In this case, there is no radio signal to jam, since there is nobody driving it. If the drone is using radio in its sensors (radar, for example), then it might lose the use of those sensors. A fancy automated drone could probably cope with the loss of some sensors, but perhaps with less accuracy or efficiency. If the drone is broadcasting video, audio, etc back to its owner, then *that* signal could be jammed. But it wouldn't stop the drone from recording it onto (say) an SD card. Once the drone returned from its mission (assuming it was able to), the SD card could be retrieved.

[LiberalFighter]

17. Couldn't the GPS be disrupted?

[RoccoR5955]

19. Yes, GPS could easily be disrupted.

I have done it with a small transmitter.

[RoccoR5955]

20. GPS is the weak link

I could disable GPS with a radio signal to jam the GPS signal. Here's an article on how to do it: http://gpssystems.net/gps-jamming/

Again, the drone would not know where it is, and therefore could not complete its mission.

Now, if you feel that they STILL could not be stopped, please tell me how.
Thanks.

[eggplant]

21. As I said previously, there are lots of different ways navigation can be accomplished.

My wife's car has GPS, but it doesn't always have signal. During those times, it uses dead reckoning to approximate its location until it can reacquire a signal.

Other solutions include on-board cameras that can identify specific objects and can triangulate from there. Or cell phone towers. Or infrared (heat) signatures. Even navigating by sound. It all depends on what your goal is, and how much accuracy you require.

Maybe the goal is to fly to where the jammer is and disrupt it.

Anything can be stopped if you know how it works and what its mission is. But if not, well, people can get pretty creative.

[One_Life_To_Give]

23. And how much you have to spend

Most toys are not going to install an Inertial Reference Frame to preform DedReckoning. Targeting the Jamming antennae is only usefull with additional purpose built devices intended to exploit the down time of the Jamming systems antennae. And in the case of Potus once anything remotely looking like a sophisticated attack is underway, he/she would be swept away to the bunker.

[eggplant]

25. I'm not suggesting it is plausible or even remotely (!) likely.

I was answering the question earlier as to why jamming isn't a slam dunk against these things, and the difference between autonomous and remotely controlled.

I have a hard time imagining that anyone could pull off a small drone attack. They are too small to carry much, anything they carry would likely be picked up by radiation or bio sensors, and they don't move fast enough to be a real threat. It would make a good (?) plot line for an action movie, but that's about it.

[Angleae]

24. Which frequency would that be?

They would have to know beforehand what frequency they are using or they have to jam the entire VHF band.

[RoccoR5955]

26. I am sure that the CIA, with their budget

could jam the entire VHF, UHF, AM, FM, Cell Phone, GPS, TV, Short Wave and any other bands simultaneously.

Google could be a friend here.

[Angleae]

29. Except that would also jam police, fire dept, secret service, aircraft, and anyone else that uses it

[RoccoR5955]

30. no big whoops there! n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Another Spy Vs. Spy toy.

Soon we will have the anti-Drone technology, to be followed by the Anti-Anti Drone Technology, to be followed by ...........

[peace13]

3. I really wonder why this testing is done over the White House?

If I lived there I would suggest that the testing be done off site until perfected and then have the security protocol initiated without announcing it to the general public. I Expect security to be a bubble over and around the building. Whatever it takes to keep the premises safe. Really, are they trying to desensitize folks to the crafts so a successful attack can be made? Head shake on this!

Edited to add....that the person with the big mouth should be found...and fired.

[LiberalFighter]

18. I would think you be right.

There shouldn't be any need to test at the WH until they work out kinks before hand.

[peacebird]

28. Exactly. Makes no sense because someone else coul put a drone up during that time for more nefarious

reasons. How would the SS know it was not one of theirs?

[Demeter]

4. Nothing like locking the cage after the bird has flown, guys!

Really proactive thinking.

[nykym]

5. The only way to fight a bad drone

is with a good drone with a gun!
Thanks to an unnamed lobby group
(It's Sarcasm)

[Brother Buzz]

6. So that's why my garage door keeps opening and closing

[awoke_in_2003]

11. Might be your neighbor

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[Brother Buzz]

13. Could be

The crazy electrician that installed it said he had to go next door and borrow a cup of electricity

[awoke_in_2003]

14. Ohm my :)

[LiberalFighter]

22. Where do I get one of those? :D

[awoke_in_2003]

27. I wonder if it is part of building code...

or electricians having a sense of humor, but it seems every where I have lived have had one switch that nobody knew what it did.

[Raine1967]

7. Yay…

I live pretty close to National airport, this might be really fun…

[geomon666]

8. Do these people know anything?

Just use Batman's EMP gun.