Drone countermeasure system: cornerstone of low-altitude economic security, driven by dual-use deman

With the accelerated rise of the low-altitude economy and the transformation of modern warfare patterns, drones have evolved from mere "tools" into "strategic assets." However, the security threats posed by their unregulated flight have become increasingly prominent. As a core technology safeguarding airspace security, Counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems are becoming a "rigid demand" in both military and civilian sectors, driving the industry into a period of rapid growth.

1. Dual-wheel drive of military and civilian: blowout demand for drone countermeasures

Civil field: "rigid security demand" of low-altitude economy

With the popularization of consumer-grade drones and the unmanned transformation of commercial logistics/government operations (such as firefighting, agriculture, and policing), the density of low-altitude flight activities has surged. Data shows that the global civilian drone market will exceed 100 billion yuan in 2024. However, issues such as airport closures and privacy breaches caused by "uncontrolled drone flights" have become frequent, forcing drone countermeasures to become a "standard safety infrastructure" for the low-altitude economy.

Military field: the "core of defense" in modern warfare

In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drones have become a key equipment that "changes the rules of war" - from suicide drone "swarm" attacks to small and medium-sized drones performing reconnaissance/precision strike missions, traditional air defense systems are difficult to cope with. Against this backdrop, drone countermeasures systems are listed as "core technologies for battlefield survivability", and military spending continues to tilt towards C-UAS. It is estimated that the global military countermeasures market will exceed $30 billion by 2025.

II. Technical Analysis: How does the C-UAS system "tame" drones?

The drone countermeasure system achieves full-process control over illegal drones through a closed loop of "detection and identification → strike and countermeasure":

1. Detection and identification: The "千里眼" for airspace safety

✅ Multi-technology fusion detection:

✅ Radar detection: It captures drone targets by emitting electromagnetic waves, suitable for long-range operations and complex environments (such as cities and mountainous areas);

✅ Radio spectrum monitoring: Tracking communication signals from drones and remote controllers to precisely locate "unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)" devices;

✅ Photoelectric/Acoustic Recognition: Combining cameras, infrared sensors, and sound feature analysis to achieve real-time recognition of drone models and flight status;

✅ Data fusion algorithm: Integrate multi-source data, address the "blind spots" of single technology, and enhance recognition accuracy in complex scenarios (such as airports and military restricted areas).

2. Countermeasures: A "defensive shield" that employs both hard and soft tactics

✅ Soft killing: Preferred choice for civilian scenarios, efficient and low-risk

By interfering with the drone's communication links (such as GPS signals, image transmission signals) or implanting false commands, the drone is forced to "return, land, or hover". Typical techniques include:

✅ Radio jamming device: Directly shields drone frequency bands, suitable for crowded areas such as concerts and large events;

✅ GPS spoofing system: Forging positioning signals to guide drones away from the target airspace.

✅ Hard-kill: Core of military scenarios, physically destroying threats

✅ For high-threat targets (such as military drones carrying explosives), directly destroy or capture them through physical means:

✅ Laser weapon: Quickly lock on and burn out the drone's power system, with a response time of less than 1 second;

✅ Microwave weapon: Disrupts the electronic components of drones, causing them to crash out of control;

✅ Interceptor net/missile: Capture the target by using a drone equipped with an interceptor net, or launch a precise strike with a small missile (such as the US Army's "Coyote" interceptor system).

III. Industry Trends: Accelerating Technology Iteration and Market Expansion

In the future, drone countermeasure systems will evolve towards "intelligence, miniaturization, and low cost": on the one hand, the introduction of AI algorithms will enhance multi-target collaborative countermeasure capabilities; on the other hand, the growing demand for "portable countermeasure devices" (such as handheld jamming guns) in civilian scenarios will drive technology down to the grassroots. For enterprises, grasping the "transformation of dual-use technologies" and "low-altitude economic policy dividends" will become the key to seizing market opportunities.