Drone Vs Drone: Race For Countermeasures Against Drone Terrorism 

Almost any time a significant new technology becomes viable there are serious military implications to be reckoned with. It was true with the advent of repeatable firearms, the mass production of automobiles, as well as the advent of networking computers.

Now, the next big piece of tech lined up for intense regulation is drone technology.

So far, drone technology is familiar to most people in two major ways; as a terrifying robotic military weapon, and as an exciting hobby for people of all ages.
 
But drone technology has become so robust that it is rapidly dropping in price while still achieving better and better capabilities.

Drones are now so reliable and cost effective that online retailers like Amazon and package carrier services like Fed Ex are investing millions in creating drone-based delivery systems.

There are, of course, major concerns to be dealt with when it comes to drones. One of these concerns is government overreach. Another is terrorism.

Drones can be used by an enemy of the state, criminals, and by terrorists to perform any number of illegal activities.

They can be used to carry weapons and drugs with no regard for borders, customs, or border patrols. Possibly more terrifying than those concerns is the idea of drones carrying bombs.

Right now, major corporations and governments are experimenting with ways to guard against drones that may be used in a terrorist attack. One of these is called the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System created by the MITRE Corporation.

Their interest is to neutralize drones without damaging them, or causing them to fall to the ground. This is because drones carrying bombs can do more damage by falling than by being recovered safely, and drones with illegal drugs or weapons could fall into the wrong hands if the drone is simply destroyed in the air.

One solution to this problem is OpenWorks' SkyWall 100. The SkyWall would capture illegal drones with a projectile net which would disable it without detonating any explosives it may contain, and deliver it to the ground using a parachute. A complex solution, but one that would work, all things being equal.

Another idea MITRE has on the table is radio jamming techniques. Most drones come with a safety feature that is meant to guard against the dangers of a sudden loss of contact with the controlling radio signal.

These systems cause drones to land automatically when this happens. That makes intentionally jamming their radio signals a viable method of intervening where drones may be carrying explosives. MITRE has developed a radar jamming gun called the Dronebuster which can easily disrupt an RC signal.

Of course, one of the most interesting possibilities on the drawing board is drone to drone intervention. With superior resources, a nation-state should be able to produce drones with superior flight characteristics to those that are available on the commercial market.

That means, using drones to shoot down, intercept, or otherwise attack a suspicious drone is a viable option. These intercept drones would be piloted by hot-shot remote pilots from a secure location.
 
Whereas drone technology poses a significant amount of danger, with questions and answers like these coming to the fore, we may be on the cusp of a new frontier where drone-versus-drone combat becomes an everyday reality.