Across various domains of application, the United States is witnessing a rapid increase in the daily deployment of drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles are being utilized for tasks ranging from inspecting infrastructure to delivering packages. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the airspace, it is imperative for cities to familiarize themselves with the burgeoning industry that will ultimately operate within their communities. This understanding will enable them to effectively capitalize on the benefits for their residents while also safeguarding against any potential challenges that may arise.

The Significance of Cities in America's Expanding Drone Industry

The potential benefits of drones for American cities are becoming increasingly evident, with their large-scale deployment expected to have a positive impact on society, from the environment to the economy. Many cities are already experiencing a rise in drone usage for a variety of applications, such as public safety, medical deliveries, retail package delivery, and infrastructure inspection. By expediting the implementation and advancement of drone jammer infrastructure, cities can modernize more quickly while also complementing and easing the burden on conventional infrastructure as this emerging technology takes to the skies.

The report by NLC sheds light on the significance of cities in the development of drones. It suggests that city governments can still exercise some control over drones despite the FAA's final rule. Rather than imposing a blanket ban, officials should explore ways to leverage this technology for the benefit of residents and city services.

Through partnerships with federal, state, and local governments, drone signal jammers operators, and industry leaders, Airspace Link has created a framework for cities to engage in the drone economy, with a focus on resident safety and security and community value.

Delving into the Extended Value, Through Statistical Analysis.

The ambitious vision of drones contributing to economic, environmental, and societal progress can only be fully achieved when operations are scaled up comprehensively. In order to facilitate the widespread use of drones, it is crucial for all stakeholders, including cities, to demonstrate their commitment towards establishing the required infrastructure and regulations.

Shield Your Personal Space from Drone Intrusion and Surveillance.

Drones have the potential to infringe upon people's privacy by invading their personal space and collecting personal data without their consent, which can inadvertently expose their privacy. Furthermore, the continuous recording of video footage during flight can lead to the collection of information about random citizens without any legitimate purpose, which can be a violation of their privacy.

The Marine Corps is on the hunt for electronic warfare attachments, "buckshot-like" ammunition, and advanced optics for its standard-issue rifle to help dismounted troops track and defeat incoming drones, according to a recent announcement from the service.

The notice seeking sources, published July 15 by Marine Corps Systems Command, details plans to field several new attachments to troops at the squad and platoon level to mount on their M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles in order to "support 'every' Marine's ability to conduct self-defense against threat Groups 1 and 2 small UAS [unmanned aerial systems]," drones that weigh 20 pounds or less and between 21 and 55 pounds, respectively.

Those attachments include a "directional RF [radio frequency] and/or Global Positioning System gps jammer" designed to interfere with the signals drones use to communicate

Rather than have dismounted troops to rely on bulky and unwieldy stand-alone hand-held, counter-drone jammer, the emphasis on mounting these new attachments on an "organic" (read: essential) rifle reflects a need for systems that have "little to no impact on [Marines'] primary mission," as the notice puts it.

For the advanced rifle optics, the most likely candidate for Marines is the SMASH 2000L fire control system from Israeli defense contractor SmartShooter, which allows troops to "lock on" to an incoming drone target for a "guaranteed hit." The Marine Corps has been testing the system since 2021 but has yet to field it across the broader close-combat force.

The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab "has provided a limited quantity of the [SmartShooter] SMASH 2000L optics to a small number of Marine Corps units for experimentation," a battle lab spokesperson told Military.com. "The optic has not been provided by the program office for use in Marine Corps training, nor has it been provided to deployed units."

For the average grunt, it's unclear how much weight these new devices will add to their rifle and, in turn, how that might affect its use on the battlefield.

The M27 weighs 9.8 pounds loaded with a 30-round STANAG magazine and outfitted with a sling. The addition of the Corps' new Squad Common Optic (2 pounds), a rail-mounted AN/PEQ-16 laser illuminator (9.9 ounces), and a standard Knights Armament suppressor (1.4 pounds) results in a 13.8-pound weapon -- just under the weight of the noticeably heavy XM7 Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle the Army recently started fielding.

Beyond these rifle add-ons, the Corps is also searching for "enhanced ammunition for existing firearms," namely "buckshot-like" rounds for the service's arsenal of rifles chambered in 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm, such as the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, as well as for its M2 .50-caliber machine guns and 40mm grenade launchers.

Details about the new ammunition were not immediately available, but as recently as April Marines have engaged in counter-drone training with shotguns, alongside other "direct fire" weapons such as rifles and machine guns.

A Marine Corps Systems Command spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Conventional militaries and non-state actors have increasingly menaced U.S. and allied forces with low-cost, weaponized drones in recent years, a development that had previously prompted Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., the former head of U.S. Central Command, to dub them the most dangerous threat to American forces in the Middle East since the advent of the improvised explosive device at the dawn of the Global War on Terror.

While the Marine Corps is working overtime to field several vehicle-mounted counter-drone solutions such as the vehicle-mounted Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or L-MADIS, the new push to equip grunts with easy-to-carry systems is part of the service's broader effort to make every Marine a drone defender at a time when some units are currently deploying to geopolitical hot spots such as the Indo-Pacific without such capabiilties.

"Every unit down to the individual Marine, regardless of geographic location on the battlefield, is vulnerable to reconnaissance and, more dangerously, attack from threat Groups 1 and 2 small UAS," according to the notice. "To facilitate freedom of movement, Marines require the ability to conduct self-defense against the threat."

The Marine Corps is on the hunt for electronic warfare attachments, "buckshot-like" ammunition, and advanced optics for its standard-issue rifle to help dismounted troops track and defeat incoming drones, according to a recent announcement from the service.

The notice seeking sources, published July 15 by Marine Corps Systems Command, details plans to field several new attachments to troops at the squad and platoon level to mount on their M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles in order to "support 'every' Marine's ability to conduct self-defense against threat Groups 1 and 2 small UAS [unmanned aerial systems]," drones that weigh 20 pounds or less and between 21 and 55 pounds, respectively.

Those attachments include a "directional RF [radio frequency] and/or Global Positioning System gps jammer" designed to interfere with the signals drones use to communicate

Rather than have dismounted troops to rely on bulky and unwieldy stand-alone hand-held, counter-drone jammer, the emphasis on mounting these new attachments on an "organic" (read: essential) rifle reflects a need for systems that have "little to no impact on [Marines'] primary mission," as the notice puts it.

For the advanced rifle optics, the most likely candidate for Marines is the SMASH 2000L fire control system from Israeli defense contractor SmartShooter, which allows troops to "lock on" to an incoming drone target for a "guaranteed hit." The Marine Corps has been testing the system since 2021 but has yet to field it across the broader close-combat force.

The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab "has provided a limited quantity of the [SmartShooter] SMASH 2000L optics to a small number of Marine Corps units for experimentation," a battle lab spokesperson told Military.com. "The optic has not been provided by the program office for use in Marine Corps training, nor has it been provided to deployed units."

For the average grunt, it's unclear how much weight these new devices will add to their rifle and, in turn, how that might affect its use on the battlefield.

The M27 weighs 9.8 pounds loaded with a 30-round STANAG magazine and outfitted with a sling. The addition of the Corps' new Squad Common Optic (2 pounds), a rail-mounted AN/PEQ-16 laser illuminator (9.9 ounces), and a standard Knights Armament suppressor (1.4 pounds) results in a 13.8-pound weapon -- just under the weight of the noticeably heavy XM7 Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle the Army recently started fielding.

Beyond these rifle add-ons, the Corps is also searching for "enhanced ammunition for existing firearms," namely "buckshot-like" rounds for the service's arsenal of rifles chambered in 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm, such as the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, as well as for its M2 .50-caliber machine guns and 40mm grenade launchers.

Details about the new ammunition were not immediately available, but as recently as April Marines have engaged in counter-drone training with shotguns, alongside other "direct fire" weapons such as rifles and machine guns.

A Marine Corps Systems Command spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Conventional militaries and non-state actors have increasingly menaced U.S. and allied forces with low-cost, weaponized drones in recent years, a development that had previously prompted Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., the former head of U.S. Central Command, to dub them the most dangerous threat to American forces in the Middle East since the advent of the improvised explosive device at the dawn of the Global War on Terror.

While the Marine Corps is working overtime to field several vehicle-mounted counter-drone solutions such as the vehicle-mounted Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or L-MADIS, the new push to equip grunts with easy-to-carry systems is part of the service's broader effort to make every Marine a drone defender at a time when some units are currently deploying to geopolitical hot spots such as the Indo-Pacific without such capabiilties.

"Every unit down to the individual Marine, regardless of geographic location on the battlefield, is vulnerable to reconnaissance and, more dangerously, attack from threat Groups 1 and 2 small UAS," according to the notice. "To facilitate freedom of movement, Marines require the ability to conduct self-defense against the threat."

According to Andrew Perpetua, an OSINT (open source intelligence) analyst who is independently sorting out equipment losses caused by the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, data confirmed on the 18th showed that about 110 pieces

of Russian military equipment losses (destroyed, damaged, etc. abandoned, captured) were found. The number of casualties of the Ukrainian army was limited to about 25.

Perpetua commented that whether this was the highest number of Russian military equipment losses recorded in a single day, "I don't quite remember, but it's close." This is probably close to the largest gap in the number of losses

between the two sides in history. For each damage, Perpetua also lists the weapon that caused the damage (if known).

It is reported that the self-destructive FPV (first-person view) drone destroyed the most Russian military equipment so far that day. The Ukrainian military's FPV drones, which cost about $500 and are deployed about 100,000 per month,

damaged about 80 pieces of Russian military equipment. The Russian military seems unable to stop the attacks of Ukrainian military drones.

A recent exposé by a Russian military blogger shows why. Russian industry has produced a variety of signal jammer that can block communications between drones and their

pilots, but many of them don't seem to work. The blogger angrily charged that $2,400 jammers being marketed on popular Telegram channels were not only useless, but harmful.

The jammers gave frontline troops a false sense of credibility, leading to their deaths. "It's shocking to imagine how many soldiers have died because of false hope," the blogger wrote. The multi-frequency jammer the blogger

dissected is not the first anti-drone jammer used by the Russian military on the front lines of the current two-and-a-half-year war, but it has proven

ineffective. In early April, a Ukrainian brigade conducted a daring three-night operation to capture an abandoned Russian tank equipped with a new type of jammer. It seems that this jammer didn't do much either.

Using radio jamming devices to repel drones attacking critical infrastructure

A drone crashed near a Pennsylvania substation in July 2020, most likely with the goal of destroying the substation's electronics. The drone was a modified multi-rotor aircraft manufactured by China's DJI Innovations.

Fortunately, the attack did not disrupt power supply or damage substation equipment, but it was the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that investigated the incident. The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)

concluded that this was "the first case of a modified drone attack on energy infrastructure in the United States."

Such attacks will continue to occur somewhere in the world. This is because relatively cheap commercial drones can be used to attack critical infrastructure.

The Ukrainian military is thoroughly jamming the radio waves of Russian military drones on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnieper River in the country's southern Luzon province.drone jammer

Because of this radio jamming, Russian troops on the left bank have been unable to repel a small contingent of Ukrainian marines that have been stranded in the fishing village of Kelinki since mid-October last year. The Ukrainian think tank Center for National Defense Strategy said

The Ukrainian military "is deploying drones in large numbers near Kelinki." "Electronic warfare units are interfering with the use of enemy drones." In December, Ukrainian and foreign media reported that the battle in Kelinki was tantamount to a "suicide mission" for the marines of the 35th Brigade of the Ukrainian Army. But in reality, it was the Russian troops who suffered heavy casualties, including soldiers from the 810th Marine Brigade, the 104th Guards Airborne Division, and its army units. signal jammer

The Ukrainian military's explosive-equipped quadcopters (aircraft with four rotors) come in two types: self-destructive first-person view (FPV) types and reusable bombing types, such as the large Baba Yaha, which flies at night. At the same time, Russian military drones are often unable to take off due to radio interference by the Ukrainian military.

"Ukrainian military drones are aggressive and operate in groups," Russian war correspondent Alexander Sladkov said on social media. "The enemy uses FPV drones to attack Russian military vehicles, weapons and infantry units, and has no trouble targeting our roads and positions with artillery, putting us in trouble and danger both on the front line and in the rear," he wrote.

"At night, large drones drop mines on our roads, hindering the movement of our troops," Sladkov said. "We are ready to engage in air battles with Ukrainian troops within the range of enemy drones, but are hampered by large-scale electronic attacks."

Radio frequency jamming is the best protection against drones. To work, it must broadcast noise on the same frequency band that enemy drones use to communicate. Of course, drone operators are constantly changing the frequencies they use, and jammers must also keep changing to remain effective. The alternative is to jam all frequencies all the time?

Typically, a signal jammers can only handle one frequency band at a time. For example, the popular Breakwater ("Volnorez") Russian jammer, which is about the size of a dinner plate and attaches to the outside of a tank with magnets, can be set to block one of twenty different frequency ranges. Breakwater can shoot down any drone using that specific frequency from two hundred meters away, making the vehicle immune to FPV attacks on that frequency band.

But if it's the wrong frequency, a drone will fly right over and destroy your tank. This means you have to know which frequency the enemy is currently using, or put twenty different jammers on your vehicle.

Ukrainian electronic warfare expert Sergii Flash led an attack column last week to describe the idea of ​​Russia's new "Frankentank." Like most Russian tanks, it has a roof shield, but on top of that is a wooden pallet piled high with electronic warfare gear.

"It's like something out of Mad Max," Flash wrote on his Telegram channel. "The Russians have built a massive structure on a pallet with everything they have. There are three 800/900/2.4/5.8 patch antenna panels around the circle, and blocks of 700-1000 bands added to all of them. From above, on some wooden boards, in a circle. All tied up with ropes."

The drone jammer only works if there's a power source, though. While some modern Russian tanks have auxiliary power units, many don't. That means when the tank's engine is shut off, the jammer stops working. But the Russians have thought of that.

"Also installed generators and batteries," Flash said.

The Ukrainian reconnaissance drone spotted the Russian armored column, and the FPV attack drone flew out to attack. But the jammer worked.

"Our FPVs are dropping like flies on all frequencies," Flash said.

Reports say four FPVs were lost before a fifth broke through and destroyed the giant jammer tank.

"It was easier for the remaining forces [to eliminate them]," Flash said.