DroneDefender. (Photo : Battelle)
The DroneDefender man-portable, anti-drone rifle used by U.S. troops to shoot down ISIS aerial drones in Iraq is being improved by its maker, Battelle, a non-profit research and development organization based in Ohio.
Battelle said it's working hard to develop a more compact, lighter and more capable version of DroneDefender that will be even more effective on the battlefield.
The 6.8 kg DroneDefender, which is carried and aimed like an infantry rifle, works by interrupting the frequencies that enemy unmanned aerial systems (UAS') operate on to shoot down the UAS.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department together ordered 100 DroneDefenders earlier this year, and the weapon is being used by the Army in Iraq. The military has ordered more of the systems.
"The system that we generated was in proactive response to a need that we saw coming," said Dan Stamm, manager of counter-UAS programs for Battelle.
"Understanding the potential threat that was out there, we generated the version one (DroneDefender) on our own. When the realization started occurring that this was indeed going to be a threat, our solution may not have answered all the challenges, but it answered a vast majority of them.
"Now, we're spending our own investment to close up additional challenges and threats that may be received by our users."
He said the next iteration of DroneDefender will be significantly lighter weight and smaller in size. It will also be more streamlined and efficient in power consumption. Researchers are also looking at expanding the range of frequencies the device can disrupt.
In October, the U.S. military reported shooting down an ISIS aerial drone over Iraq. If confirmed, this event will be the first shoot down of its kind for the U.S. military in a combat zone.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said U.S. Air Force troops shot down a small, weaponized UAV operated by ISIS. James, however, didn't specify the type of drone shot down or the type of weapon used by the Air Force.
But photos made public later by Iraqi media show a flying wing drone equipped with a small camera in its nose. The white painted drone showed no signs of being hit by bullets.
As for the weapon used by the Air Force, the likely suspect is DroneDefender.
DroneDefender comes with a companion radar system that detects and tracks the small and hard to detect drones. The radar system consists of two, 18 kg components and can be carried in two rucksacks.
When assembled, the radar provides 360 degree coverage, detecting drones from several kilometers away. DroneDefender is then brought into play.
