The hard launch of SteelRock Technologies (SR), a UK start up producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and counter-UAV systems, took place during Farnborough International Airshow 2018.
During the show, SR displayed its Nightfighter counter-UAV device in multiple configurations. Nightfighter identifies frequencies used by a UAV and then uses a transmission to defeat it. Instead of jamming frequencies it overrides the hostile operator’s controls, which enables the operator to initiate return-to-home protocols, deny feeds from the UAV, or force a landing.
The company conducted trials in Wales, United Kingdom, and reported 100% success at ranges of up to 5.4 km. SR claims that the device is effective against commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) UAV models that are likely to be employed by non-state actors, although its effectiveness against military systems is not known.
With the threat coming primarily from irregular forces, whether the customer is a military or a civilian agency, such as a prison, there is likely to be a civilian population nearby. The Nightfighter employs a highly directional transmission, which is designed to avoid collateral damage and minimise risks to the operator.
Nightfighter is provided in two rifle-style configurations, the shorter of which is designed for infantry patrolling and the longer being more suitable for sentry tasks. Additionally, the Nightfighter was displayed attached to a sensor on the Bowler all-terrain vehicle and integrated onto the Odin counter-UAV, which couples it with a pan-and-tilt electro-optical array and UAV detection radar.
Source: Jane’s 360