This machine is a safe countermeasure to drones

The DroneGun Tactical by Australian-based company DroneSheild is like something out of a video game. The rifle-shaped, high-powered antenna “blasts” drones out of the sky with frequency waves.

DroneSheild designed the technology to thwart unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with explosives or weapons strapped to them. It works by blocking video transmission and GPS information, making it nearly impossible for its pilot to regain control

“Most modern drones are equipped with a protocol that they come back to their operator when the radio frequency signal is jammed and land when radio frequency and GPS are both jammed,” company spokesman Oleg Vornik told the Daily Mail.

“The jammer doesn’t control the drone, it’s an automatic response from the drones themselves.”

What makes the DroneGun Tactical so useful is that it forces the UAV to land without harming it or the surrounding environment. No collateral damage is always a huge plus when it comes to disarming dangerous weapons. 

The 14-pound piece of equipment is still small enough to be operated by one person and has a 1.2-mile range. Despite its effectiveness, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not approved the device.

“This device is not and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, in the United States, other than to the United States government, its agencies and its properly delegated representatives, until such authorization is obtained,” the fine print reads. “The use of DroneGun Tactical in the United States by other persons or entities, including, in certain circumstances, state or local government agencies, is prohibited by federal law.” 

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