Detector, Intercept drone.
Fortem DroneHunter™ is an unmanned counter-UAS aircraft engineered to autonomously fly toward unwanted drones in the sky–without a human pilot on the ground–and detect, track, classify, monitor via video stream, inspect, and safely capture the intruder drone. Fortem’s DroneHunter™ is claimed to be the world’s first counter-drone system that operates beyond line of sight (BLOS) using radar to protect a perimeter day and night from unwanted air threats.
According to the company “Some of the technology was developed and hardened over several years on US Department of Defense applications and is now available for commercial use. Core technologies include TrueView Radar, machine learning, specialized guidance, secure data collection and services, robotics and aerospace design, and open command and control platforms for customers to detect, track, classify and mitigate unwanted drones. The open, secure ground station offers operational flexibility of multiple DroneHunters™.”
In September 2018 Fortem Technologies announced the launch of Fortem Portable SkyDome, a counter-UAS technology that establishes a 360-degree view of a designated airspace and enables Fortem’s autonomous DroneHunter, to investigate specific areas and provide ground and airspace security with the ability to mitigate drone intrusions safely. “Portable SkyDome acts as a powerful force multiplier for keeping a designated perimeter and airspace secure,” said a company press release. “,
Key benefits of Portable SkyDome are:
• The system can be set up and torn down quickly at an event or venue and requires no radar or sensor expertise
• Boundaries and zones can be created to send automated alerts, texts and emails when intruders enter a zone
• Rules can be applied to automatically launch a DroneHunter for additional observation, surveillance, pursuit and capture
• When a careless or clueless drone is identified by Portable SkyDome then DroneHunter can be activated to pursue and capture it and tow it away from populated and sensitive areas for safe disposal, regardless of their navigation capabilities
• The stand-alone system can be installed and taken down in a few minutes.
In June 2019 Fortem Technologies announced the launch of two new UAS products: SkyDome v. 2.4, an AI-enabled, API friendly platform that allows approved drones to fly safely and rogue drones to be mitigated; and the latest development to it C-UAS drone hunter range – the F700 Patriot.
SkyDome System 3.7 adds longer range target validation and implementation of additional unique urban clutter suppression algorithms. This update enables the defeat of low flying targets at longer ranges in urban and other highly-cluttered environments.
ThreatAware™ is Fortem’s AI analysis engine that assesses data from multiple sensors and sources in real-time, providing continuous threat levels for multiple objects in the environment. This tool identifies site-specific patterns-of-life and empowers security personnel to have total situational awareness, threat alerts, and to make informed integrated response decisions.
The F700 features include:
• Integrated, no-tangle, repackable parachute system for immediate and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) safe flight
• Flip-up built-in hood for quick access to internal electronic components, aiding rapid development and maintenance
• Quick-swap battery pack that reduces time between flights and simplifies battery maintenance
• Configurable battery box placement for optimal balance with multiple payload configurations
• Advanced body shell seal for optimal protection in all kinds of weather
• Easy-lock rotor arms and retractable landing gear for simplified shipping and storage
• Fast out-of-the-box assembly and set up
• Lightweight construction, optimal rotor and motors, and multi-battery pack choices make long, aggressive flight times possible
Partnerships:
In April 2019 Fortem Technologies and Unifly announced they will collaborate to develop a joint airspace safety and security solution for drone operations. According to a company press release: “This new end-to-end solution will allow UTM and U-space architectures to be used by public safety officers, military groups and other government agencies to secure airspace around critical infrastructure, airports, stadiums, public venues and more.”
In August 2019 Fortem Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) signed an agreement designed to deliver an airspace management solution for public infrastructure, venues and cities requiring advanced security and data processing to protect against ground and airborne threats. The agreement includes customised drone solutions tailored to any drone platform to provide real-time awareness, security and data for analysis. The solutions combine Fortem’s SkyDome software and TrueView radar to detect, track, categorize and assess threats, with the HPE ProLiant DL20 Gen10 secure servers. The solution works in private secured networks or in protected cloud settings.
In March 2021 Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions invested USD15 million in Fortem Technologies to form a strategic business alliance. The two companies plan to integrate their complementary systems and expand sales around the world, says a joint press release.
