PROTECTION of MILITARY AIRPORTS

Military aircraft represent significant investments and are essential for maintaining strike readiness and force capability. Ensuring their protection against destruction from opposition forces, guerilla groups, foreign operators, and activists is vital.

Military Aircrafts Vulnerability on the Ground

While military aircrafts are heavily defended in the air, they are most vulnerable when stationed on the ground. During these periods, they become exposed targets for hostile actions. The challenge lies in safeguarding these high-value assets against threats while parked.

A 100 Dollar Drone Against a Hundred Million Dollar Aircraft

This threat landscape is continuously evolving, with adversaries developing small combat drones in large quantities. These drones can carry small explosive charges, posing a significant threat particularly to military airfields and stationed weapon systems. To counter these threats, it is essential to deploy advanced detection systems that can adapt to new drone technologies and tactics.

Modern military strategy emphasizes the need to protect expensive weapon systems from being neutralized by inexpensive tactics. A relatively cheap drone can potentially destroy a hundred-million-dollar aircraft if the latter is not adequately protected. This imbalance underscores the importance of comprehensive protective measures.

Detection Against Non-Standard Drones

Attackers often modify drones to evade standard detection methods. These modified drones, such as fiber-optic and autonomous drones, may not emit the typical signals that radar and RF-systems (Radio Frequency-systems) detect. Therefore, relying solely on these methods can leave gaps in the defense system. Read more about the need for passive detection methods. Acoustic detection fills these gaps, as sound is harder to camouflage. Systems like Squarehead Technology’s Discovair is an advanced acoustic sensor that detects drones based on their unique sound signatures, providing an effective last line of defense.

System of Systems

A robust defense strategy integrates multiple systems to form a system of systems. Combining technologies such as radar, RF detection, cameras (EO), LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and acoustic sensors, ensures comprehensive coverage. Each component addresses different aspects of the threat, collectively creating a resilient defense network. Discovair integrates seamlessly with other detection systems to provide near-field detection capability for high-value assets and enhances situational awareness when part of a system of systems.

What’s Possible Today?

Today, advanced sensor systems offer cost-effective and comprehensive protection. Systems using passive acoustic sensors, such as Discovair, provide reliable detection and can be integrated into future defense models. These systems are capable of distinguishing drones from other sounds, ensuring minimal false positives and maintaining high detection accuracy.

Result

Protecting military airports and aircraft within the airport is a complex but crucial task. By employing a multi-layered defense strategy that includes passive acoustic sensors, the military can effectively counter the growing threat of drones. This approach not only safeguards high-value assets but also ensures operational readiness in the face of evolving threats.

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• Why are military aircraft most vulnerable on the ground?

  Military aircraft are well-defended in the air, but when parked on the ground they are stationary targets. This makes them especially exposed to attacks from drones, sabotage, or hostile groups, highlighting the need for strong airport protection measures.

• How can inexpensive drones pose such a serious threat?

  Even a drone costing a few hundred dollars can carry explosives capable of destroying or disabling aircraft worth hundreds of millions. This cost imbalance makes drones one of the most dangerous tools for adversaries targeting airbases.

• Why are traditional radar and RF systems not always enough?

  Attackers make drones harder to detect by flying low, staying close to vegetation or buildings, and minimising RF emissions — tactics that let them blend into ground clutter and evade radar, so layered sensors (acoustic, optical, fusion) are needed in addition to traditional defences.

• How do acoustic sensors strengthen airbase protection?

  Acoustic sensors detect drones based on their unique sound signatures, which are difficult to disguise. Systems like Discovair provide reliable passive detection, filling the gaps left by radar and RF systems and serving as a critical last line of defense.

• What is meant by a “system of systems” in airport defense?

  No single technology can detect every type of threat. By combining radar, RF, electro-optical cameras, and acoustic sensors into an integrated defense network, militaries create overlapping layers of protection. Acoustic systems like Discovair fit seamlessly into this approach, enhancing both near-field detection and overall situational awareness.