How can airports, power plants or major events be protected from unwanted drones? How can small attack drones be intercepted without using significantly more expensive defensive missiles? And how can you tell what is actually moving in the airspace over sensitive terrain? Questions like these are increasingly preoccupying security authorities and the armed forces.
The security and defense industry wants to present answers to this at the new Euro Defense Expo, or EUDEX for short, in Essen. For the first time, the trade fair will take place parallel to Security Essen. This means that military defense, civil security and the protection of critical infrastructure come together. The focus is, among other things, on equipment for land forces, cyber security and drone technology.
Hunter drone with claw
The example of Hybrid Aerospace shows how much smaller companies are now relying on new solutions. The start-up has developed the “Greif”, a drone that is intended to hunt other drones. What's special: Suspicious aircraft are not shot down or blown up, but captured by a mechanical claw.
"A key advantage of our system is that no debris is created when the drone is captured. This means that uninvolved people and other people's property can be protected. At the same time, the captured drone remains largely undamaged, so that it can then be forensically examined and, for example, evaluated to identify those responsible," says Ralf Schmidt, Managing Director of Hybrid Aerospace.
Artificial intelligence controls interceptor missiles
According to the company, the hunter drone only weighs 2.7 kilograms and should be ready for use within a few minutes. An integrated parachute system is intended to provide additional safety.
The “perdix” drone defense system, which will be presented for the first time at EUDEX, takes a different approach. It is developed by irisnet together with the Bonn technical-mathematical study society, or tms for short. A base station is intended to detect and track drones using AI-supported sensors. An interceptor missile can then be used against low-flying attack drones. It is itself equipped with sensors and is intended to specifically destroy approaching drones.
Intelligent airspace surveillance system
With the aircraft, called "PX75", the developers are responding to small, inexpensive attack drones that are being used more and more frequently. Fighting these with very expensive classic anti-aircraft missiles could be economically problematic, says tms managing director Ingo Beckmann. "Our guided missile is the economical answer to low-cost attack drones. With the PX75, we contribute to a multi-layered defense against aerial threats at the lowest level by precisely intercepting low-flying drones - with comparatively little negative impact on the ground."
An airspace surveillance system from the company hensec starts even one step earlier. Before a possible threat can be averted, it must first be recognized. The system should be able to detect drones, airplanes and helicopters, but also distinguish birds and detect targeted interference with satellite navigation systems.
To achieve this, the platform combines various technologies such as radio detection, passive radar, radio telemetry and the monitoring of satellite navigation signals. The data creates a shared real-time situation picture. A special feature: According to the manufacturer, the system works completely passively. So it doesn't send out any radar or radio signals itself.
Start-ups as part of the security industry
At EUDEX and Security Essen, which takes place at the same time, 13 young companies from Germany will present their developments at a joint stand supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The spectrum ranges from protective clothing and AI-supported image analysis to autonomous security robots.
For example, camera systems will be shown that not only read license plates, but can also recognize the brand, model, vehicle type and color using artificial intelligence. During access checks, you can also check whether a license plate actually belongs to the respective vehicle. The trade fair is also an opportunity for young companies to make contacts with authorities, the armed forces and possible investors.
