Technology partners InDro Robotics, Accipiter Radar, Aerial Armor and Skycope provided the drone detection system at Ottawa International Airport during President Biden meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March, reports UAS News. NAV Canada is part of the project, and Transport Canada is kept in the loop on the data generated by the operation.
Airport VP of Security, Emergency Management and Customer Transportation, Michael Beaudette said the drone protection system provides situational awareness not only of the immediate area, but throughout the National Capital Region up to almost 40 kilometres, “During his (Biden’s) visit we paid particular attention to anything flying near the Ottawa airport or downtown,” says Beaudette. “Law enforcement are aware of the capabilities we have. It’s a good partnership and we were happy to be able to give something back to the police and intelligence services,” according to UAS News.
“The system runs 24/7, and is capable of triggering an alert whenever a drone intrusion is detected. In mid-March, 2023, a week prior to the US President’s visit, the system indicated an attempted drone intrusion on airport property. The alarms went off and they were tracking it – but because of the geofence around the airport, the pilot couldn’t get control of the drone and put it back down again and departed airport property,” says Beaudette.
“That one’s in our investigations right now. Anything that happens a week out from the visit we look at it very closely. Is it someone doing a rehearsal to detect weak points? Is it a plane enthusiast having a look? Someone who bought a new drone at Costco and decided to try it out? While it’s a little more challenging because the individual left, we did get a license plate and we’re now just connecting the dots.”
According to InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece: “The Drone Detection Pilot Project has proven its worth since its inception. Getting no detections and being assured there’s no potential threat is just as valuable as identifying incursions – especially during a high-security event such as this. We’re proud of this ongoing project and our partnership with YOW, NAV Canada, and our technology partners Accipiter, Aerial Armor and Skycope. We believe this has proven to be an effective model, and one that could be deployed with confidence at other major airports or sensitive facilities.” Reports are generated on a monthly basis by the Ottawa drone detection system, says UAS News.
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