Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
Vodafone Group has tested the Elistair Safe-T tethering station to support the UAS-provision of 4G coverage in areas with no cellular coverage, the company announced on 17 October.
A UAS tethered to the Safe-T station and equipped with a network device can fly for hours while offering coverage with no risk of interference in the network or loss of the UAS.
The company has been experimenting in an uncovered area of northern Andalucía with mobile relays mounted on the Elistair Safe-T tethering station.
The relays are based on an adapted 4G Vodafone CrowdCell. Using the Elistair tethering system, the UAS was able to hover in position at up to 80m above ground level for periods of over a day. In areas where there was no coverage, the solution delivered 4G coverage of up to three megabits per second. The solution can also connect local users without the need to route the call through the main macro network and can offer video streaming for surveillance purposes.
Elistair Safe-T has been approved for tethered flights by French Civil Aviation (DGAC).
It is hoped the system could be marketed for deployment during emergency situations , such as following natural disasters in areas where there is no cellphone coverage.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
The new Amorphous software is a universal controller that would allow a single operator to control a swarm of “thousands” of uncrewed systems, from drones to underwater platforms.
India UAV supplier ideaForge has launched the Netra 5 and Switch V2 drones at Aero India 2025, boasting of enhanced endurance, AI-driven autonomy and improved operational capabilities.
The UAV market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with innovations in technology and battlefield applications driving demand across military sectors. From the battlefields of Ukraine to NATO exercises and beyond, drones are transforming how wars are fought and supported.
Launched at AUSA in October, the company’s multi-stream video codec is attempting to bring a new lease of life to drone technology through its AI accelerator.
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.