Page 12 - BWM March 2013

12 | Business World Magazine | March 2013
Anti-Drone Zone
As the national discussion on political policies, proliferation and privacy implications involving the
use of unmanned aerial vehicles has droned-on, even prompting certain droning by Senator Rand
Paul during a filibuster that delayed appointment of John Brennan as CIA director this month, it was
inevitable that some bright-minded entrepreneurs would seize upon a business opportunity. An
Oregon start-up, Domestic Drone Countermeasures, LLC, has just announced their intent to
commercially sell technology that will reportedly diminish a drone’s operational capacity by
impeding its sensors and interfering with its infrared and camera systems. DDC has been reportedly
established by the same principals of a defense contractor known as Aplus Mobile, a manufacturer
of DC-powered mobile computers and servers designed for mission critical applications. The
anti-drone technology deployed by DDC is said to be neither offensive, nor combative, nor
destructive. Their system, which operates from a ground-based box, will supposedly sense
approach of a drone and rapidly deploy countermeasures that thwart the drone’s reconnaissance
functions. DDC’s announcement comes on the heels of disclosure from the Federal Aviation
Authority that more than 80 public authorities have applied for FAA drone authorization. The FAA is
asserting that over the next few years, there may be up to 30,000 drones operating in the skies over
North America. While Charlottesville, Virginia, became the first community to create a new law
banning such aerial applications this month, Sacremento, California, is moving to introduce
legislation designed to lure drone manufacturing operations through tax incentives in a plan that
may brand their skies as an aerial testing-ground for the nation. Drone operations are anticipated to
potentially bring more than 10,000 new jobs to California.