By Nick Whigham*
Queensland Police will be packing some serious heat during the Commonwealth Games this month as authorities will be equipped with technology used to combat the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the Middle East.
Police will have guns capable of shooting drones out of the sky, produced by Sydney-based security firm DroneShield.
The weapon uses technology rather than bullets to disable the drones and bring them down by cutting the signal between the drone and its operator.
The guns can reportedly target drones within a 2 km radius and can also scramble any video feed the drone is broadcasting.
“What the gun does is take control of the GPS and either cut it so the drone doesn’t know where it is or it will take control of the GPS and send it back where it came from,” DroneShield Chairman, Peter James told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
According to the report, DroneShield has been working with Queensland Police over the past 12 months to teach officers how to handle the drone guns.
Similar devices have been used to protect the skies over sporting events in the United States, including the 2017 Ironman World Championship in Hawai’i and the Boston Marathon, and DroneShield says its technology has been used by military forces in the Middle East to combat IS.
Last week Queensland Police revealed officers used the anti-drone gun to bring down a suspect drone flying near a Commonwealth Games venue on 25 March.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told media of the bust during a press conference on the Gold Coast.
“We were able to take down that operator and refer the matter to CASA [the Civil Aviation Safety Authority] for breaches committed by that person operating that unmanned aerial vehicle,” he said.
DroneShield says the rise of drones has allowed new and creative ways to penetrate highly secure environments and the company hopes its suite of products can provide protection for governments and private companies looking to mitigate against the airborne threat.
DroneShield’s website highlights trends such as the growing use of drones to drop drugs and other contraband inside prisons as something its products are designed to combat.
Mr James said there’s a shift taking place in modern weapons towards an importance on electronic energy.
“The world of security, police and warfare used to be about kinetic energy, that is things that went bang,” he told The Bulletin.
“Now it is becoming more and more about electronic energy.”
He said groups like IS “are effectively getting drones off the shelves and strapping grenades to them and terrorising coalition forces” in the Middle East.
The ASX-listed company recently raised $2.55 million from investors to further develop its drone detection and countermeasure technologies.
Queensland Police have confirmed they will be using the drone guns to help protect fans at the Games, while Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski urged the public to “leave your drone at home” during the event.
The Commonwealth Games kicks off on Wednesday and runs through to 15 April.
The Gold Coast has invested heavily to upgrade its transport networks ahead of the Games, which are expected to inject upwards of $2 billion into the local economy.
* Nick Whigham is news and technology reporter for news.com.au HQ in Sydney. He tweets at @NWWhigham.
This article first appeared at www.news.com.au.
