Military scientists are working on Polish anti-drone systems.

An optoelectronic system using a laser beam to detect even very small drones is ready for deployment. SkanDron was developed last year by a consortium led by the Military University of Technology; its scientific continuation is the JERZYK project.

The SkanDron system is very difficult to disrupt, unlike radar technologies; it combines drone detection and tracking with their neutralization.

The SkanDron laser-based low-flying object detection and tracking system is a laser scanner that scientists at the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Military University of Technology have been developing for over four years. Already at the prototype stage, the technology received the Defender Award at the 2021 International Defense Industry Exhibition.

The device autonomously monitors a selected sector of the sky within a 120-degree angle and locates objects as they appear. When the scanner detects a drone, it transmits its location in real time to the camera system, which then takes over tracking the object. SkanDron detects and tracks even small drones from a distance of 850 meters, and larger or slow-flying ones from up to several kilometers away.

The director of the Institute of Optoelectronics at the Military University of Technology, Prof. Krzysztof Kopczyński, is responsible for the development of SkanDron, and the research team is headed by Col. Marek Życzkowski, PhD, DSc, Eng., professor at the Military University of Technology. The project was financed by the National Centre for Research and Development. The consortium, led by the Military University of Technology, was co-founded by the Air Force Institute of Technology, KenBIT, and Nordcom.

DETECTS EVEN THE SMALLEST DRONES

The SkanDron not only detects and tracks objects in space, but is designed so that, when combined with other systems, it can facilitate neutralization, i.e., shooting down drones. "The SkanDron can be easily integrated with any neutralization system. We are open to the market, and at the same time, the Academy is working on our own systems. As part of the directed energy program, preliminary field tests of laser weapons and electromagnetic pulse generators were conducted with positive results. This could be a joint proposal by the Military University of Technology for implementation in border protection – a system that scans and simultaneously neutralizes even the smallest, low-flying drones measuring 18 cm x 32 cm," Colonel Marek Życzkowski told PAP.

As he explained, a laser scanner is a unique device that is difficult to jam. First, you need to know it's being used, as the radiation is invisible and difficult to counter. This is a significant advantage over radars, which are more susceptible to jamming – they can be "blinded."

Precise data on the detected object's location, determined by the laser scanner, is transmitted via software to the optoelectronic head control module (a dual-mode visual and thermal imaging camera). This module sets the camera's viewing direction and optimal magnification parameters, thanks to the electronically adjustable zoom. This allows for a visual representation of the suspicious object and allows the system operator to verify it.

SkanDRON was developed as a device for protecting borders and critical infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, dams, and strategic objects. Its purpose is to create a durable protective barrier that signals the passage of small objects—those that are most difficult to detect because they fly very low, for example, over trees, and are practically invisible to radar. In border areas, they are often used for smuggling.

"The principle of operation of a laser scanner is that the device cannot be in motion during operation. To identify a drone in the scanned area, or to put it colloquially, to spot it in the sky, it should be placed on stable ground, on a platform, or on the roof of a building. To effectively protect the border, such devices can be deployed approximately one kilometer from the border on specially prepared pedestals. The ScanDron has its own power supply and can operate for several hours; it can also be connected to an external power supply," explained the scientist.

Implementing this optoelectronic innovation requires ordering and manufacturing up to several hundred such devices. Negotiations on this matter are underway with companies such as PIT-Radwar.

PLANNED MOBILE OBSERVATION DURING MASS EVENTS

Colonel Życzkowski emphasized that although the project has concluded and two prototypes have been created, the technology itself is still under development and is being continued at the Military University of Technology. The JERZYK project, led by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, aims to streamline tasks related to the protection of critical infrastructure, facilities, and property, as well as the protection of mass events and individuals. For this project, the Institute of Optoelectronics is developing a dual scanner that "sweeps" 360 degrees, similar to a protective dome.

The system will utilize radars, optoelectronic cameras, radioelectronic sensors, jamming modules, and its own neutralization drones. An additional optoelectronic head will be placed on the observation drone. This sensor system will enable the detection, recognition, and neutralization of drones, primarily micro- and mini-drones, at any cruising altitude.

The system is currently being developed for peaceful purposes, but in addition to radio neutralization systems, a kinetic neutralization system has also been designed – capturing an aggressor drone using a swarm of drones and a proprietary net launcher, thanks to which it is possible to bring the aggressor to the ground safely and in a controlled manner.

The mobile system for combating micro and mini class unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – “JERZYK” will operate in motion, the project is being developed under the Szafir program of the National Center for Research and Development by a consortium with the participation of the Military University of Technology (leader), Flytronic SA and AMZ-KUTNO SA. The project started in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Karolina Duszczyk, naukawpolsce.pl website (PAP)

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