Short of shooting down a drone with physical projectiles, the only anti-drone technology in existence is what is commonly known as a “drone jammer.” Drone jammers are modern devices that are designed to stop drone threats from entering controlled airspace and critical areas such as airports, prisons and industrial facilities, detention centers, military playgrounds and other departments.
A drone jammer works by sending its own electromagnetic signal at the same frequencies used by drones for communication, navigation, or video transmission, disrupting the communication signals between a drone and its operator or its navigation system, effectively neutralizing the drone. In most cases, this will result in the drone activating its Return to Home function, through which the drone pilot can be identified.
The drone jammers aim to target the radio frequencies (RF) or GPS signals that the drone relies on to function.
1.How a drone jammer works:
1) Targeting Communication Signals
Drones depend on specific signals for control, navigation, and video＆image＆date transmission:
Date Transmission: This type involves sending information between the drone and its operator, as well as between the drone and its onboard systems. This includes not just control signals but also video feeds, telemetry, GPS data, and other types of information.
Control Signals: These are RF signals sent by the operator to control the drone's movements.
GPS Signals: Drones use GPS to determine their location and navigate autonomously.
Satellite Signal: It refers to the radio frequency (RF) signals used for communication between a drone and satellites in orbit.
Video Transmission: Many drones send live video feeds back to the operator via RF.
Image Transmission: It refers to the process of sending image data—typically captured by the drone's onboard camera—from the drone to the operator or a remote system for viewing, storage, or analysize
A drone jammer interrupts these signals, making the drone unable to receive commands or navigate properly.
2) Emitting Interference Signals
The jammer generates powerful signals on the same frequencies used by the drone:
Radio Frequency Jamming: The jammer broadcasts RF noise on the control and video transmission frequencies (commonly 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz). This overwhelms the drone's receiver, preventing it from decoding the operator's commands.
GPS Jamming: By broadcasting signals on GPS frequencies (e.g., 1.575 GHz for GPS L1), the jammer blocks the drone’s ability to receive satellite navigation data.
