Insufficiencies and improvement needs of existing anti-drone systems
With the widespread application of drone technology, the Kerala police decided to further enhance its anti-drone capabilities and plan to purchase an advanced directional jammer system to deal with the security threats that drones may pose. Recently, the police have launched a tender to find signal jammers that can operate in all frequencies and weather conditions.
As early as 2022, the Kerala police worked with AIdrone Pvt Limited, a startup company based in Trivandrum, to develop an anti-drone jammer called "Eagle Eye". The system is integrated into a special vehicle that can jam drones through radio frequency sensors and radars, and is equipped with an anti-drone gun for shooting down flying objects and performing forensic analysis of drone systems. However, although the Hawkeye system has enhanced the police's anti-drone capabilities to a certain extent, it has exposed some defects in actual application. For example, in some cases, the system may interfere with the police's own drones and communication equipment. In addition, when the Hawkeye jammer is in operation, it may affect other devices around it that operate via WIFI, Bluetooth and GPS. This design that cannot select the jamming frequency has become its main shortcoming.
Advantages and procurement plans of new directional jammers
The Kerala Police is studying the purchase of more advanced directional jammer devices or jammer guns. This device can directional jam and dismantle unauthorized drones within a range of 500 meters. The police expect that the price of each jammer is about 1.5 million rupees. The new system can not only jam radio frequencies, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and telemetry data, but also has the function of switching frequencies to independently jam specific frequencies. In addition, this jammer is waterproof and can work normally in adverse weather conditions such as rainy days. It is designed as a portable handheld device, which is convenient for law enforcement officers to use in various occasions.
It is worth noting that the Kerala Police is the first police force in India to adopt an anti-drone system. Previously, such equipment was mainly used by the defense forces. At present, the system has been put into use in many law and order operations in the state.
As the bidding process is drawing to a close, the Kerala Police expects to complete the bidding within a week and then initiate the equipment procurement process. The police are actively seeking proposals from domestic drone jammer development companies, hoping to find the best technical solution to further enhance its anti-drone capabilities and ensure safety and stability in the jurisdiction.