Kerala police to procure directional jammer for anti-drone operations
KOCHI: As drones and UAVs are becoming widely in use even posing risk to security installations, Kerala police are looking to add an advanced drone jammer to its fleet. Recently, the police floated a tender to procure the system which can operate in all frequencies and in all weather conditions.
In 2022, Kerala police in collaboration with Thiruvananthapuram-based start-up AIdrone Pvt Limited developed an anti-drone jammer named Eagle Eye. The jammer was integrated into a vehicle that can jam drones using radio frequency sensors and radars. The system also contains an anti-drone gun which can bring down the flying object easily and conduct forensic analysis about flying history and the system integrated into the drone.
“However, we observed isolated limitations in the Eagle Eye system. On some occasions, it tends to jam friendly drones and communication equipment. Also, systems operated via WIFI, Bluetooth and GPS are also affected when the jammer is operational. In the current system, selection of frequencies to be jammed is not possible,” an official in Cyber Police Headquarters said.
Now the Kerala police are exploring the option of procuring a directional jammer or jammer gun which can defuse all unauthorised drones within a 500-metre directional range.
Police are estimating a price of Rs 15 lakh for the jammer. The drone jammer gun would be capable of jamming radio frequencies, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and telemetry data. The jammer would have the ability to switch frequencies so that it can jam frequencies independently. Similarly, it should be capable of operating even during the rain with water resistance capacity. The drone jammer should be a portable and hand-held device.
Kerala police were the first police force in the country to operate an anti-drone system which is mostly used by defence forces. Already, the system was used for law and order operations in the state.
“The tendering procedure will be complete in a week. After which the procuring procedure would be initiated. We are looking for proposals from various firms that have developed drone jammers in the country,” a police officer said.