DRONE TECHNOLOGIES

On 19th July, CTB365 held a Drones and Counter Drone Technology webinar, one of the panellists, Jackson White, Business Development Director, RF Datalinks and Marketing (SPX Comtech) answers some of the questions that it wasn’t possible to answer during the webinar

DRONES & COUNTER DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Jackson joined the British Army at 16 into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1990. After serving during the Cold War in Germany, Jackson specialised in tactical and strategic communications, deploying domestically and globally in the war on terror, serving in several roles. Jackson has served operationally on the UK Mainland, America, The Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East.

Since leaving the Army, Jackson has completed a degree in Cyber Security and has combined this with his operational experience during his 15 years in Industry as a business development Manager at Enterprise Control Systems Ltd. and Esterline (Racal Acoustics). Then as a sales and marketing director for getac before returning to Enterprise Control Systems as business development director.

DRONES ARE LIKELY TO BECOME MUCH MORE UTILISED AS WEAPONS IN WARFARE, AS THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN UKRAINE. HOW CAN WE RESPOND TO DRONES BEING USED AS A METHOD OF ATTACK IN WAR?

We’re currently witnessing the Ukrainian Armed Forces being faced with military UAS threats. Both military and commercial UAS present their own challenges to defeat from repurposed commercial UAS, through to weaponised military UAS. It’s therefore fair to assume that all military forces will use drones regardless of their budget. The question is how do we then defend and counter that threat within a security and military construct. The Counter-UAS challenge is at a tactical level, which often lacks doctrine and a concept of employment. Mission success

depends on entry capabilities being scaled and field-upgraded in line with developing doctrine, and tactics in response to the threat evolutionary cycle, ensuring total lifecycle costs are minimised and the flexible CounterUAS solutions remain fit for purpose in the future. Solution manufacturers must focus on staying one step ahead by combining advancements in radars, radio frequency (RF) detection, electro-optical/Infra-Red imagery and jammers in a multi-sensory approach.

WHAT IS BEING DONE AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL TO REGULARISE THE STATUS OF UAS AND COUNTER UAS TECHNOLOGY IN COMBAT ZONES?

We’re seeing a huge variation both internationally and within our national borders, mainly to do with the operation and the operational commander. For instance, if someone is involved in security and policing operations and wants to carry out a defeat of a drone to remove it from the airspace, the approach will be different to a military user on the battlefield wanting to take out a state actor or state-sponsored drone. In one place there will be significant legislation and rules about the use of RF defeat, whilst in the other – such as full-on warfare – there is actually no regulation. So one of the things we always have to do is talk with these users to understand their own legislative framework. However, those frameworks have been changing and it’s remarkable how quickly some of these have evolved in countries across the world in the space of seven years. To effectively assist in dealing with the threat, national and international legislation is going to have to keep changing to enable the true defeat, rather than just the detection of a threat. But equally, the technology has to change which will in turn make it easier for the legislators to agree to the use of the defeat. Ultimately, it works and must be considered from both ends, the moving goalpost of legislation and the practical changes in techniques.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF USING AN SDR-BASED DEVICE ON A UAS – DOES THE OPERATOR THEN CONTROL THE UAS?

Given the challenges presented by highly complex UAS waveforms, and the challenges given by the limitations of older DDS-based jamming solutions, the most effective Counter-UAS RF Defeat systems have had to undergo radical technology changes. This is the change to a software-defined radio, or SDR Source generation technique. The key elements of the SDR technique had already been developed as a next generation countermeasure waveform, but it wasn’t needed or implemented until the complex waveforms in the UAS domain appeared. The SDR-based source generation technique was of course triggered by the identification of this new threat, and then further refined to achieve maximum effectiveness in the inhibition and jamming of these complex signals. There is no doubt that the proliferation of this new threat initiated the introduction of SDR-based jamming techniques. So, if we take a high-level look as an SDR waveform, there are a number of key aspects to consider. Most importantly the SDR waveforms can be developed to disrupt the command and control links of UAS platforms in response to the ConOps of the operational user. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://365.counterterrorbusiness. com/2106/drones-counter-drones

Rugged devices offer resistance to the shocks, drops, vibrations and temperature changes consistent with field, workshop and construction site conditions. DURABOOK, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, has launched its latest fanless rugged laptop and tablet models, the R8, U11I and Z14I, which proactively reduce dust transference. Fred Kao, CEO of Durabook answered some questions on their company and their products.

FANLESS RUGGED DEVICES: THE NEXT STEP IN MAXIMISING EFFICIENCY AND BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY

PLEASE BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE HISTORY OF TWINHEAD/ DURABOOK AND ITS FIRST USES (BOTH IN THE MILITARY AND WITHIN THE PUBLIC SECTOR/ EMERGENCY SERVICES).

DURABOOK is the core brand of Twinhead International Corporation in Taiwan, a world-renowned manufacturer of rugged mobile solutions. For many years, Twinhead was also the ODM partner for General Dynamics Itronics. In 2000,

Fred Kao, CEO, Durabook the company manufactured its first military-grade rugged laptop, followed by the introduction of the DURABOOK brand in 2002. After Itronics left the rugged industry, the DURABOOK line quickly expanded to meet the growing demands of customers across a broad range of markets that require rugged mobile solutions.

Today, Durabook devices have a loyal global customer base, including the U.S. Armed Forces, public safety agencies, numerous field service organizations, and companies that specialise in oil and gas, logistics, healthcare, utilities and automotive industries.

Since its founding in 1984, Twinhead International Corporation, now a publicly listed Taiwan company, has gained an enviable reputation as a major supplier of rugged computing devices with a commitment to developing cutting-edge products and solutions to meet the demands of a growing customer base.

The products have been used in the US in the military, and the public sector in Arizona, Texas and West Virginia.

WHICH EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY USING DURABOOK PRODUCTS, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES/CASE STUDIES OF THEIR UK USE?

Emergency services are the government’s frontline, safeguarding the security and the protection of all citizens in everyday and emergency situations. The deployment of cuttingedge mobile computer devices for remote communication has become a strategic asset through which public safety users can coordinate emergency responses, improve collaboration, and facilitate instant action – in real-time.

More challenging working environments and economic increases pose an increasing threat for emergency services providers. Arming these teams with advanced mobile devices equipped with the latest software is vital for increasing efficiency, boosting security, reducing downtimes and instilling trust, so today’s emergency crews can confidently fulfil their day-to-day duties.

Durabook U11I comes with 2 smart card readers and is specifically designed for the EMS sector.

U11I helps ambulance crews quickly access electronic patient records; transfer patient-specific information to the hospital before arrival; and make critical decisions. It includes an embedded smart card reader, and is the only rugged tablet available today with the option of adding a second smart card and RFID reader. This allows for secure user authentication and the safe collection and transfer of sensitive data. This feature has proven essential for quickly accessing historical patient information, recording diagnoses and securely sending data to the hospital or other health organisations before arrival so care and treatment can continue without delay.

Durabook U11I comes with 2 smart card readers and is specifically designed for the EMS sector

ARE THERE CUSTOMISED VERSIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR DURABOOK PRODUCTS, AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM THE STANDARD? CAN ANY OS OPERATE ON DURABOOKS?

Durabook mobile devices are equipped with Windows operating systems as standard. However, we occasionally receive requests from our global customer base for other OS besides Microsoft Windows, especially Linux OS.

Durabook products support Linux OS, including, for example, recent Kernel builds from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Ubuntu or Astra Linux.

If customers require OS other than Windows and Linux OS, Durabook can customize the system according to their needs.

With more than 35 years’ experience and knowledge of engineering innovative, high-performance personal computers and peripherals, Durabook products are built with modular design for easy additional functionality. For more extensive customized products, we provide a rich pool of design collaterals. From boards, displays to chassis, we can build to your need quickly and competitively.

Additionally, Durabook is the only rugged manufacturer offering fanless mobile devices – R8, U11I and Z14I.

These fanless laptops and tablets deliver multiple benefits, ensuring that users can operate in the most dusty or contaminated environments without risk to their computer or performance loss that can drastically impact productivity.

From a hardware perspective, we believe we offer unlimited customization possibilities for all sectors and industries; for example, our rugged laptops offer the unique setup of two LAN ports (RJ-45) and two RS-232 serial ports. In addition, our tablets’ unique module expansion design can offer specific upgrades, such as an additional RFID reader, smart card reader and legacy ports, providing a unique design with a particular sector focus .

ASIDE FROM ITS RUGGEDNESS AND PORTABILITY, WHAT ARE THE PARTICULAR ADVANTAGES A DURABOOK DEVICE CAN BRING TO FIELD OPERATIVES? HOW DOES THE HARDWARE DIFFER?

Durabook always used the latest cutting-edge technology for its core line of rugged tablets and laptops. Since we work closely with Intel and Microsoft, we are able to provide the latest technology. Durabook is the first rugged player to introduce the world’s first rugged tablets with 12th Gen Intel® processor, 8” R8 and the 11” R11 fully rugged tablets.

WHAT FUTURE PLANS DOES DURABOOK HAVE TO ENHANCE ITS PRODUCTS? IS THERE ANYTHING THE COMPANY IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT YOU CAN TELL US/ GIVE A SNEAK PREVIEW TO CTB READERS ABOUT?

Digitisation is booming everywhere – and companies are becoming increasingly aware of this. In a very short time, many had to change to accommodate remote access, video conferencing, collaborative tools, decentralized IT and cloud solutions. Meanwhile, employees needed to learn to work together no longer in person but virtually and flexibly. This brought the digital infrastructures into focus and required rapid changes.

In recent years, this trend has brought us more and more inquiries in specific, unique sectors for specialist applications. Therefore, Durabook focuses on niche markets, offering an even more compact and powerful solution. L

FURTHER INFORMATION ww.durabook.com