Page 34 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 Online Magazine

gers a response. The same goes for impacts
on third parties, which must also be minimised.
Ultimately, the system should be looked after by
its supplier throughout its life cycle, to ensure
that maintenance – and also training for future
operators – is reliably assured for the long term.

What added value can your air
surveillance system offer airport
operators, in addition to simply
recognising a drone?

Firstly, we have the edge in terms of information
by being able to identify an intruding drone at
an early stage. That means the control tower
will alert the pilot of an incoming aircraft and
not the other way around. This information
edge also represents a time advantage, since
an early alarm means that flights can be sus-
pended in an orderly manner.

This creates opportunities to respond appro- Manned-unmanned teaming relates only to the collaborative use of
priately to the situation rather than apply an drone systems and manned aircraft. The expression “man-in-the-
externally controlled response. Actions appro- loop” is perhaps more appropriate for the case of drone defence
priate to the situation also mean unnecessary since the law currently requires the decision to put countermea-
expense can be avoided, since that is the only sures in place to be taken by an incident commander in an official
way flight operations can be resumed again position, such as a member of the police or armed forces, even
swiftly. This coordinated approach also builds though intelligent algorithms can evaluate data from various sen-
up a deterrent effect if it is communicated via sors like radar, wireless analysis, optical cameras and acoustics,
the media in an emergency. The deterrent and can reliably trigger alarms.
effect can play a critical part in preserving life
and limb, since it reduces the potential risk of What are the conditions the implementing parties
accidents, attacks, etc. Operators thus help to must ensure are in place to maintain reliable air
increase confidence in the safety of civilian air surveillance?
transport.
Our practical experience shows that clear standard operating pro-
How well can this be implemented cedures (SOPs), well established technologies, systems tested in
practice by the police, and well trained personnel are essential for
in inner-city areas? Can you this kind of police activity.
explain it using examples?
Our GUARDION system has already been put Who do you believe will be responsible in the
to use, for example during the G20 summit future for implementing and regulating air safety
in downtown Hamburg, and during the street for unmanned aerial systems, and to defend
party for German Unity Day in Berlin in 2018, against them?
on behalf of the Germany’s Federal Office of Strategies for air security are an essential condition for the safe
Criminal Investigation, BKA. Urban scenarios and orderly commercial use of drones. This includes a legal frame-
and inner-city situations, in particular, work for the safe use of drones and coordinated efforts to monitor
are characterised by dense housing and all drones that are legally in the air using transponder systems
therefore restricted visibility of potential and unmanned traffic management networks (UTM). At the same
drone targets for the sensors. Yet these are time, we have to be capable of distinguishing these legal drone
the very situations in which it is important to flights from illegal flights and have the technical resources avail-
have access to a range of sensors. That’s able to enforce applicable law in response to deliberate misuse.
why we found that a distributed, multi- Responsibility for monitoring legal requirements, all defensive
sensor approach in different locations was actions and protecting the public lies with the police. Of course,
particularly effective. private firms can do a better job of protecting their own interests

How big a role does manned- and their physical and intellectual property against espionage using
pure detection systems. This is therefore an area that is of great
unmanned teaming play here? interest to the major automakers.

34 | January/February 2019 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ AAA