Battelle releases radio-wave weapon that disables commercial drones

Battelle, the Ohio-based manufacturer and defense contractor, released DroneDefender, a portable, easy-to-use weapon to counter suspicious or hostile drones in flight, Tuesday.

The rising popularity of commercially available drones has prompted concerns from some in the defense, security and law enforcement communities.

Battelle’s DroneDefender uses radio control frequency disruption technologies to stop drones in the air before they can pose a threat to military or civilian safety. The system features a simple point-and-shoot system with a demonstrated range of 400 meters. The DroneDefender weighs less than 10 pounds and can operate for more than five hours straight.

DroneDefender quickly disrupts threatening drones so that no remote action, such as a detonation, can occur in sensitive areas. The goal is to minimize damage to the drone while still mitigating the risk to public safety.

“This is just the kind of tool we need to safely counter a drone threat,” Dan Stamm, the senior Battelle researcher who led the project, said. “The DroneDefender can help protect us from those who may wish to do us harm.”

Alex Morrow, the project’s technical director, said the anti-drone weapon can be helpful in numerous settings, including the White House lawn, military bases and overseas embassies. He also suggests that there are a number of other locations the DroneDefender can be used, including in prisons and schools.

“It easily and reliably neutralizes the threat,” Morrow said.