\u201cHobby drones are easy to buy, their performance is improving dramatically, and their cost has dropped significantly; now with millions of them around the world, they pose a growing threat to the U.S. warfighting forces if used for nefarious intents,\u201d said Albert Sciarretta, president of CNS Technologies and chair of the committee. \u201cThe threats could be consumer items like hobby drones, modified consumer items such as could be assembled with online components, and customized ones, like built-from-scratch aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n
The committee that authored the report was asked by the U.S. Army to assess the threat from sUASs, especially when massed and operating collaboratively, examine the current capabilities of military units to counter them, assess related human performance issues, and identify technologies appropriate for short- and long-term science and technology investments by the Army.<\/p>\n
Readily available, high-performance, sUASs can be easily modified to carry lethal weapons, identify targets at long ranges, and conduct electronic warfare attacks.\u00a0 As the capabilities of hobby drones improve at a rapid pace, the added threat from coordinated groups, swarms, and collaborative groups of sUASs will pose a substantial challenge to U.S. armed forces, the report says.<\/p>\n
\u201cModified hobby drones can be used to support conventional and unconventional attacks.\u00a0 For example, they can be fitted with external or embedded explosives designed to explode on contact,\u201d added Sciarretta. \u201cIn addition, they can be used by adversaries to jam our radio frequency signals and to support their information operations.\u00a0 When these sUASs are combined in groups or swarms, their threat is significantly enhanced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Countering sUASs first requires detection and identification, which is very difficult because they are small, fly at low altitudes, can have highly irregular flight paths, and travel at a range of speeds, the report says. Moreover, a sUAS can also take advantage of the surrounding environment, for example, by concealing itself among trees or blending in with a flock of birds.<\/p>\n
Even after threats are identified, countering sUASs can be challenging, the report says.\u00a0 The Army and DOD have invested significantly in technologies in response to these threats, often focusing on detecting radio frequency transmissions of the sUASs or their operators.\u00a0 However, the report highlights that today\u2019s consumer and customized sUASs increasingly can operate without radio frequency command-and-control links by using automated target recognition and tracking, obstacle avoidance, and other capabilities enabled by software.<\/p>\n
The study was sponsored by\u00a0the U.S. Army. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit\u00a0http:\/\/national-academies.org<\/a>. \u00a0A committee roster follows.<\/p>\n