An anti-drone system has been introduced in the Port of Constanța, which is capable of identifying, locating and even taking control of unauthorized drones, redirecting them to a safe area.
An anti-drone system has been introduced in the Port of Constanța. PHOTO: Facebook
The representatives of the Constanța Maritime Port Administration National Company announced that the system has already become operational, after a drone was detected in the passenger terminal area at the beginning of this week.
Following the checks, the authorities determined that the drone belonged to foreign citizens, members of the crew of a cruise ship, and the images taken were of an exclusively touristic nature, without capturing sensitive objectives.
How the system works
According to the company, the technology used is modern, based on taking control of the drone without destroying it.
“The deployed solution is based on RF cyber-takeover – a non-kinetic, non-destructive approach, which, unlike classical methods of total spectrum jamming, allows taking control of the unauthorized drone and bringing it to the ground in a predefined safe zone, without affecting legitimate communications in the port area”CN APMC representatives sent.
The system allows the detection of drones in a 360-degree radius, their identification and classification, as well as the location of both the aircraft and the operator.
“The system allows 360° omnidirectional detection of commercial and DIY drones based on the RF fingerprint; identification, classification and location of the aircraft, as well as the pilot's position; controlled takeover of the drone and redirection to a safe area, by exploiting its own command protocol”, the officials also specified.
The company representatives explain that the decision to use a technology based on taking control, and not on jamming, depends on the specifics of the port.
“The decision to opt for a technology centered on taking control, and not on jamming as the primary mechanism, was determined by the specifics of the port environment – a dense area of operational communications (…) where an indiscriminate jamming would affect legitimate activities and the safety of navigation”they transmitted.
For the jamming component, the authorization procedure at ANCOM is ongoing.
The system will be extended to all ports
The authorities announced that the system will be implemented in all ports managed by CN APMC.
“The port of Constanţa is the largest port on the Black Sea and a strategic logistic node for the east-west European transit, including for the flows of allied military mobility. In this context, the protection of the low-altitude airspace in the port perimeter is an essential component of the security plan”, company representatives also sent.
The system is already integrated into the security architecture of the port and is operated by its own technical teams.
