Authorities are trialing a technology currently used in Afghanistan to take down combat drones, which targets unmanned aircrafts by jamming their radio signals. Developed by a joint venture of three British tech companies, the equipment would cost less than one million pounds (US$1.4 million) to install in an airport facility.
The system, according to one of its creators, Blighter Surveillance Systems, can spot drones flying within a radius of nine kilometers from the restricted area, by detecting the heat from the vehicle's batteries.
Then, the ray can either simply snipe the drone down, or commandeer it and fly it back to its operator — so that police can find (and presumably fine) them.
The death ray system is just the latest in a flurry of measures the British police are trying out to stop drones from venturing to areas where they could cause accidents or pose a security threat.
Most planes, in fact, are designed to withstand impact with birds — until recently the only objects likely to hit airliners — but it is still unclear what would happen if a hobby drone (ion lithium battery included) were sucked into a plane's engine.
Several other solutions to the problem have been voiced in the past. These included specially trained anti-drone eagles, net-launching bazookas and so-called "geofencing software"- programs that automatically prevent drones from flying too high or to wander into restricted areas.
