World Cup to use drones to help protect stadiums

Image source, Fortem Technologies

There will be man-to-man marking and drones at the World Cup.

Defending venues will be aided by the use of drones that shoot nets.

The drones will be provided by Fortem Technologies.

The agreement shows growing fears about the threat of drones.

Fortem says its system is a safe way to bring down drones in built up locations, reducing the risks of injury if weapons were used.

The firm's drones can be used to tackle small consumer drones by firing nets to catch them, which can then be used to carry them to another location.

A net is launched at the target which is connected to a parachute, slowing the target and forcing it to the ground.

Targets are identified using a series of very small radars that are distributed throughout the venue, creating a complete picture of the airspace straight up into the air.

The company claims the drones have killed people.

The buzz of drones won't be accompanied by the roar of fans because the machines do their work a mile or so away from the venue.

Image source, Fortem Technologies

Terrorists may launch drones on pre-programmed flight paths using alternative systems for stopping drones.

Terrorists don't use joysticks, that's why our business is going up. Terrorists do not show up in your parking lot. The drones are programmed so they can't be jammed.

The company said it has deployed anti-drone systems at other sporting events. portable versions of its system have been given to Ukraine, and it is working on anti-drone measures for UK airports.

In November and December, the Utah-based firm will work for the Ministry of Interior and Safety and Security Operations Committee of the World Cup in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The threat from terrorist use of drones has increased due to the technology being more accessible.

There was an unsuccessful attempt by suicide bombers to gain access to the stadium where France were playing Germany in a football friendly.

He suggests that a drone could have entered the stadium.

Concerns have been heightened partly because commercial drones have been modified into weapons in conflicts in Yemen and Ukraine according to Dr Steve Wright.

Fortem's can be effective against smaller drones, according to him.

Dr Wright believes that they expand the line of defence from a venue to give defenders more time to respond.

He warns that attacking drones will be harder to stop as they increase in speed.

Image source, Fortem Technologies

"We're looking at technologies of how we can push that out 200mph (322 km/h), maybe even 300mph one day, as we squeeze the sponge of the electric technology we have," he said.

Attackers might make drones more manoeuvrable. Dr Wright's team built a drone that could go from zero to 60 mph in under a second.

Multiple drones attacking at the same time would pose a challenge. The conflict with Yemen is causing a problem for the Saudis as groups of these things are sent over the border at the same time.

By making attacks harder, all drone defence systems make attacks less likely.

It doesn't mean that the countermeasure is pointless if it's defeated. Dr Wright said that you still impose a cost on your enemies.