Several drone incidents in recent days have closed various airports in Denmark, including in the capital Copenhagen and others used by the Danish armed forces. Denmark's defense minister said it was the work of a "professional player" and called the drones' appearance "a hybrid attack".
It is still unclear whether Russia had anything to do with the incidents in Denmark. But after the entry of unmanned aircraft into the airspace of Eastern Europe, NATO demanded measures be taken. In early September, Russian drones entered Polish airspace. In response, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced a new operation by the defense alliance to protect its eastern flank.
Danish authorities have also learned how difficult it is to identify and stop drones. This challenge is significantly different from those that NATO and the EU usually face.
Why is it so difficult to stop drones?
Drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles have been used extensively by many armed forces since the 1970s. Today, they are part of modern warfare, especially the one between Russia and Ukraine. But they are not limited to the battlefield. "Drones are more affordable and easier to use," says Richard Gill of security firm Drone Defence. "Prices are coming down. People can now do things in their basements that ten or 15 years ago would have required special military equipment. This is a real problem for airports, which need to have complete control over their airspace. "The incident in Denmark showed that the use of drones over airports leads to the cessation of air traffic," emphasizes Jukka Savolainen of the European Center for Countering Hybrid Threats. "In the field of aviation security, no risk is acceptable." This principle has already led to the closure of airports around the world - from New York to London to Dubai and Frankfurt. This gives anyone who intends to do so the opportunity to seriously disrupt traffic. Even amateurs could quickly paralyze entire airports due to the easy accessibility of drones. Why not just shoot them down? During war, drones are shot down all the time. But it is often difficult for security services to determine from a distance whether a drone is military or amateur before it disappears again. Even if the suspicion is confirmed, important security aspects must be taken into account.
"It is not easy to hit a drone with a projectile. That is why you have to fire a lot of them - to increase the probability of a hit", explains Savolainen. "Even if the drone is hit, the remaining projectiles will fall to the ground. That is why it is not advisable to use them in densely populated areas unless the drone poses an immediate threat."
Such a threat is difficult to assess from a distance, and since airports are often located close to populated areas, the risk is high. This, as well as the high costs, makes it almost impossible to shoot down a drone. Gill adds that legislation has lagged behind the rapidly developing drone technology, which also poses a danger to airports. "Not all airports have recognition systems that allow for the correct classification of incidents. Basically, we have to rely on the people on the ground, i.e. security guards or other staff, to report sightings. And how do we respond? If the drone needs to be shot down, who will do that?", asks Gill. There is currently no legal basis that allows airports to shoot down drones.
What can be done?
Civil airports, especially smaller and less well-equipped ones, do not have many options. The situation is different for military air bases or airports that are used for both military and civilian purposes. Drones can be identified by radio frequencies, video transmissions, radar or surveillance cameras, but once identified they are still difficult to stop.
Stopping air traffic is a last resort, but it is often the first step taken when drones are spotted in places where they should not be. A growing number of products are being developed for both the commercial and military markets that aim to stop drones. However, upgrading airport security systems is expensive and would likely be a lengthy process.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has suggested that governments should cover the cost of solving the problem, which he described as "annoying". "This is a national government security issue. It's not something airports can solve," the Irish budget airline's chief executive said. The EU appears to partly agree. On September 10, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Europe to build a "drone wall" to limit the threat of further violations of sovereign airspace.
This is to be a joint project between Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to strengthen the defences of the EU's eastern borders. The measures should be based on existing technology. However, dangerous drones should be able to be shot down if necessary. Details on this are not yet known. This system should be significantly more economical than current air defense systems, which target conventional aircraft and missiles. "This is not an abstract goal", von der Leyen said of the plans. "This is the main pillar of a reliable defense."
Author: Matthew Pearson