INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The FAA has released videos showcasing its newest effort to evaluate drone-detecting technologies, which is now underway in New Jersey
The tests, which began Monday and are expected to last until April 25, are happening over the water and near the Cape May Ferry Terminal
throughout the daytime on weekdays just, according to the agency.They are being performed by the FAAs Center of Excellence for UAS Research
The Delaware River Bay Authority Police and other local first responders will also participate.The videos offer a small peek into this
screening process.One video reveals the detection and tracking systems being tested, together with several drones of various sizes on the
ground and in flight.The other video reveals smaller sized drones being flown.The FAA has been checking drone detection innovations at
airportsover the last couple of years and is broadening screening to off-airport locations, the spokesperson toldThe War Zonein response to
our question about what sparked this effort.These tests will help figure out the effectiveness of these innovations and whether they might
disrupt FAA or aircraft navigation systems.More than100 drone sightings near airportsare reported to the FAA each month, and we want to send
a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters, and airports is dangerous and illegal, the company stated in its
statement.The FAA is utilizing numerous big drones and about 100 smaller sized, industrial off-the-shelf drones to evaluate the
effectiveness of three various detection and tracking systems: Remote ID provides identification and area information from drones in flight
that can be received by other parties through a broadcast signal
Acoustic arrays get the noise made by drones, identifying their existence and calculating position and which way they are headed
X-Band radars offer operators an active, as opposed to passive, detection and tracking ability
This is specifically essential for drones that are not producing any radio frequency emissions.To see how these systems work against drones
of varying sizes, speeds and elevations, the FAA is using uncrewed aerial automobiles in 3 groups, varying from those weighing less than 20
pounds, traveling at speeds 100 knots and operating below 1,200 feet, to those weighing less than 1,320 pounds, traveling at speeds less
than 250 knots and operating listed below 18,000 feet.The commercial off-the-shelf drones consist of DJI Mavic Pro, Parrot Anafi, Skydio 2+,
Skyfront Perimeter and DIY X6 Multirotor models
The bigger drones are the NAVMAR Tigershark and the SpektreWorks Cobalt.An X-band radar system being tested by the FAA
(FAA screencap)Though there were countless reported drone sightings over New Jersey and other locations in the northeast late in 2015, an
FAA spokesman told us on Tuesday that the choice to hold these tests in Cape May is coincidental.It was picked mostly [because of] distance
to the FAA Technical Center near Atlantic City, the spokesperson explained.Source: The War Zone
