Despite the fact that there is technology that can stop illegal drone flying, the police districts do not have the required equipment. This is confirmed by the Norwegian Police Directorate to news. Three years ago, the police started a project to meet the drone threat. Equipment was to be brought in and police officers were to be trained. At New Year’s, the anti-drone project was terminated, and responsibility was transferred to the national emergency resources at the Oslo Police District. Here, the police are still working to find out what equipment they will get, and how many people will receive training. In recent weeks, there have been several sightings of what may have been drones over important oil and gas installations and airports in Norway. Defense experts believe that we in Norway have been too naive, and have not been prepared when it comes to the use of drones. EXERCISE: Last year, several suppliers demonstrated equipment that can help the police take control of drones. Photo: Henrik Myhr Nielsen / news The technology exists – can cost NOK 100 million Nils Håheim-Saers has been researching drones and autonomous systems for several years, and is chief engineer at the research institute Norce in Tromsø. He believes the police must now take action after leaving the work behind. He says there is all available anti-drone equipment in commercial warehouses in Norway. – If you were aware of a hostile drone in the area, you could have tracked down the drone and who is driving it. Technically, this is a click-and-collect off-the-shelf item, says Håheim-Saers. He estimates that it will cost around NOK 100 million if the various police districts are to be well equipped. Several companies, also Norwegian, supply equipment that can be used to combat drones. A drone can be stopped in various ways. Signals to the drone can be blocked through so-called “jamming”, and technical equipment must be able to find the driver of the drone. In addition, drones can be shot down, also with the use of lasers. – It is not just Norway, but many countries that are now looking for this type of technology. Norway is not necessarily particularly far behind other countries, says daily manager Stig Nyvold of Squarehead Technology AS. They supply equipment that can detect drones. Nyvold confirms that there are good systems that can cover large areas. – The challenge is to pick the right tools in the toolbox, he says. Home security in place at the Kårstø processing plant. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Not sure what equipment they need The police believe that technological development is going so fast that it takes time to build up competence and capacity. – To a greater extent, we have to map out what equipment we need, it is very costly, says police operative section chief in the Norwegian Police Directorate, Elisabeth Rise. The police do not want to reveal what equipment the Oslo police district has, or how many people have the skills to use it. The equipment is not purchased, but leased. Rise admits that there will “potentially be many situations that we may not be able to solve with what we have acquired so far”. – We have spent some time because the technology develops very quickly, there are different systems for different uses, says Rise. – Equipment and personnel are in Oslo, what does this do to the possibility of using it around the country? – We must have a plan for how to handle it, then build up expertise based on an ambition for response time. How we are going to do this going forward is something that we are mapping out now, says Rise. Elisabeth Rise is police operative section chief in the Directorate of Police Photo: SIMON SOLHEIM / news Rise will not say that the police are behind anyway. – We are forced to select some areas that we prioritize based on threats that may affect us. Then we have to accept that sometimes the situation can turn into something else, and we have to react based on the situation we have now.
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The police lack equipment to stop illegal drones – news Vestland
