Danish drones must be secured against attack

Drones are vulnerable. But a new project will develop Danish technology that makes drones more robust and secures them against jamming, for example. At the same time, the project will contribute to making the EU and NATO independent of non-European suppliers.

Drones are important tools for governments and businesses, who use drones to monitor critical infrastructure such as pipelines, power grids and roads. They are also in the air over the ocean to check on submarine cables, oil spills and ship traffic.

But the drones are vulnerable.

In an era of hybrid warfare, it is easy for state and non-state actors to buy off-the-shelf products that jam and damage drones. The consequences can be severe, such as lost data, aborted missions, or loss of drones.

Drones that perform critical tasks for society must now be more robust. That is the goal of a new project that has just received an investment of 30 million kroner from Innovation Fund Denmark.

- Among other things, it involves developing a completely new antenna system for drones. Imagine that it functions like a cone of light, and always only focuses on the desired communication, so that it blocks out everything else in all other directions, says Gert Frølund Pedersen, professor at the Department of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University.

Behind the RED (Resillient Drones) project is Aalborg University and the two companies Sky Watch and PRI-DANA Elektronik A/S. The project will run over the next four years.

- A more uncertain threat landscape makes technologies we depend on vulnerable. This also applies to drones, which today solve critical societal tasks. Therefore, it is not enough that the technology works – it must also be able to withstand attacks. With the investment in RED, we are taking an important step towards protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening Europe's technological independence, says Cecilie Brøkner, Director of Innovation Fund Denmark.

Danish drone project aims to reduce EU's dependence

Today, it is largely only military drones and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) that have robust systems against jamming and electronic warfare. Solutions for civilian drones are often expensive and difficult to update and maintain.

At the same time, it is mainly suppliers outside Europe that deliver the solutions today. The project therefore also contributes to Denmark building a technological capacity that can reduce the EU's and NATO's dependence on non-European suppliers.

Drones can be autonomous, so they fly out and return with the information they were supposed to collect. Here there is less need for radio communication. But most times there will be a need for stable and continuous communication so that you can quickly get the drone to respond.

- At Sky-Watch, we have built up strong competencies in developing drones for demanding operational environments. This project gives us the opportunity to translate those capabilities into the next generation of more robust platforms that can be used for critical societal tasks where stable operation and high reliability are crucial, says Martin Løkke, VP R&D, from Sky-Watch A/S.

Henrik Sørensen, CEO of PRI-DANA Elektronik A/S, says:

- We see the project as a strengthening of Danish industry, where we maintain and develop competencies. European industry is lagging behind in comparison to Asia, and the project contributes to the continued development of PCB capabilities and supports Danish electronics production.

Facts about RED (Resilient Drones)

• Innovation Fund's investment: DKK 30 million.
• Total budget: DKK 50 million.
• Duration: 4 years
• Official Title: RED RESilient Drones (RED)