Over the past year, Norwegians have become increasingly aware of drones and the threat they can pose. But drones are very different. Some are big with small planes and have weapons. Others are only a few centimeters long. The common denominator is that they are difficult to detect, capture or shoot down. Now the researchers have found a solution. Based on a bird. He may not look much like a bird, but the Swallow drone is built with inspiration from how the swallow bird moves. Photo: FFI A flamingo in a swallow’s body There are already many drones in Norwegian airspace. But today only missiles can take down foreign drones. Missiles are both expensive and dramatic. – In a civilian situation, such as at an airport in peacetime, you don’t want to shoot down drones with missiles and cannons, says Sindre Løining Skaar. Sindre Løining Skaar, drone developer at FFI says that it is expensive and drastic to shoot down foreign drones with missiles in peacetime. Photo: FFI “Kamikaze” drone He is one of the people who developed the new drone. – We have developed a sensor system that detects the drones from the ground. We then send up a drone that can crash into a foreign drone, says Skaar. Often the “Kamikaze” drone is destroyed. Together with researcher colleague Sondre Holm Fyhn at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute, he has had a specific mission since autumn 2021: Create a drone that can detect, chase and stop an enemy drone. One year later, they hit it off. Literally: This is how the researchers themselves explain the discovery with the Svale drone. The video was made by the Norwegian Defense Research Institute (FFI). The discovery was great for the Norwegian drone community. Modern drones can be very small, they can fly low and stand still in the air. – That is why there are many air defense systems that struggle to detect them, and not least to do something about them, says Fyhn. The Svale drone can take over the job of a missile. Here they stand side by side. Although the missile is small, it is expensive and dramatic when it is launched. Photo: FFI But why is the drone called net swale? The answer lies with another drone with a bird name: the Flamingo drone. Flamingo is a surveillance drone, which is used to research drone swarms by FFI. – After working with Flamingo, we discovered that he was not as fast and agile as we needed, says Fyhn. The swale drone has the guts of a surveillance drone, but has the body of drones used, among other things, for racing. Photo: FFI Flamingos, like the red-legged bird, are designed to move relatively calmly. – Then we decided to take the innards of the drone and pack it into a racing-inspired drone. And to name the new, nimble drone that can intercept unwanted drones? They found inspiration in an equally agile bird; the swallow. Built off the shelf But the drone is innovative in several ways. Although it is a defense drone, “Svale” is built on components that can be found in every store with drone equipment: – A private person could make it, because all the components are off-the-shelf, says Fyhn. Nevertheless, he emphasizes that the drone is based on technology that has been developed at FFI over a long period of time, and which is not as easy to imitate. The police must then have risk assessments and procedures that show that this can be done with acceptable risk. For the Norwegian Armed Forces, it is the air operational inspectorate (LOI) that decides. Photo: FFI The technology enables the drone to control itself – it is autonomous. – It is almost impossible to crash into a drone when flying with remote control. But this drone calculates the collision area itself many times a second. Then the drone gets to do what even professional pilots can’t do. – It is probably natural to be more concerned about drones now than before. It is therefore important to have a reflective relationship with drones and that we increase the understanding of their possibilities, says Sondre Holm Fyhn at FFI. Photo: FFI But the newly developed drone can do more than shoot down other drones. He can also follow them, chase them, or capture them. – One possibility is to catch drones with nets. Then Svala will not be destroyed itself, explains Fyhn. Hobby drones are a big challenge Lars Peder Haga, associate professor at the Norwegian Air Force School, says that most of the drone observations in Norway of enemy drones are probably innocent hobby flying. Photo: Air Force Academy Lars Peder Haga, associate professor at the Air Force Academy, says that it is a big challenge that drones have become so popular in Norway. – They are easy to get hold of, and they are in an airspace that has not been available to the general public before. There is actually no system for monitoring drones today, says Haga. The system that exists is to monitor aircraft. – This drone seems to be a solution to deal with a problem with smaller commercial drones and hobby drones. Because even hobby drones are enemy drones if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The drone DJI mini 3 pro is a commercial drone that earlier this year was used by a Russian man to take drone pictures in Kirkenes. Photo: DJI In October this year, Norwegian authorities received a large number of drone observations. But most of them were most likely innocent hobby flying and legal work flying, according to Haga. Only a few were probably what one usually thinks of as alien drones. But with Svale you can follow the drones and find their operator. Then you will get more clarity as to who the drones actually belong to. Future drones will be more resistant to jamming, which is a widely used defense method today. This is because the drones of the future do not need to communicate with an operator, and because they will fly more tactically in the terrain. Photo: FFI – It shouldn’t surprise me if there are already similar autonomous drones in Norwegian airspace, says Haga and adds: – All slightly more advanced hobby drones have what they need to be able to fly autonomously, says the first pilot. Then he believes that autonomous drones are essential to overcome the new, foreign and autonomous drones. New regulations for hobby drones coming Hans Petter Heimro, flight operations inspector at the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority in Bodø, also says it is a big challenge that many people have a drone, but do not know the regulations. But he believes it will improve from 2024, when it will be a requirement for shops to attach an official information sheet to the drones they sell. There will also be a requirement for remote identification for many drones. Hans Petter Heimro, flight operations inspector at the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority says that there will be stricter requirements for commercial drones from 2024. Photo: Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority Since “Svale” is only built with components that can be bought in any shop that sells drone equipment, he would in principle also be controllable for hobby drone pilots. But Heimro says it will not be relevant to let each be watchdogs in the neighbourhood. – Such a drone can today only be used by the police and the Armed Forces. The police must then apply to us, he says. The police must then have risk assessments and procedures that show that this can be done with acceptable risk. For the Norwegian Armed Forces, it is the air operational inspectorate (LOI) that decides. Photo: FFI – How likely do they think it will be to see such drones in Norwegian airspace in the future? – We don’t know, but in light of the latest media reports about illegal drone flying, we are prepared that this may become more relevant.
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FFI has developed drones that can shoot down or capture foreign drones – news Nordland
