Boise-based anti-drone tech company Black Sage will demonstrate its counter-unmanned aerial vehicle defense system on the State Capitol in Boise, Idaho next week. According to sUAS News, this will be a unique presentation of sorts, as both Governor Butch Otter and the Idaho legislature will be in attendance to witness the event. The company’s counter-unmanned aircraft system technology will be tested against a swarm of drones approaching the geo-fenced area protecting the capitol at 3.30 p.m. Feb. 21.
Black Sage Managing Partner Dave Romero said that “The layered approach Black Sage employs to detect, identify and defeat unauthorized drones is the most capable and flexible technique used anywhere. Using a combination of radio frequency detection, radars, thermal cameras and non-kinetic effectors, Black Sage protects the airspace and safely brings down incoming threats.” Similar tech developed by the company was reportedly presented last year, at the world’s largest air show in Paris. This time, however, Black Sage has politicians to impress, during a demonstration that seems fairly challenging.
By geofencing the area in question and then violating the airspace with an incoming swarm of drones, Black Sage’s C-UAS tech should autonomously defend the area and safely ground the unwelcome aerial visitors. With drones becoming increasingly popular and affordable, protecting critical infrastructures or generally important places of interest by any means necessary is no longer a hypothetical scenario. Clearly, politicians are becoming more and more aware of the potential danger of enemy drones, and the potential solutions offered by anti-drone tech companies.
“Unmanned aircraft or ‘drones’ are not tomorrow’s technology,” said Idaho Governor Butch Otter. “They are today’s tools, for everything from warfare to farming. Unfortunately, tools that can be incredibly useful can also be terribly dangerous in the wrong hands. Technology like Black Sage has developed holds great promise for protecting our communities and our citizens from the very real threat of weaponized drones.”
Black Sage Managing Partner Ross Lamm, Ph. D., said “This team has worked with a sense of mission to develop the system now keeping our nation and its allies safe. We appreciate the support of Governor Otto and the State of Idaho for the rare opportunity to demonstrate these capabilities in a public setting.” Keep your eyes on Aerial next Wednesday (and every day in between, of course) as we report on the events of Black Sage’s counter-UAV demonstration in Boise.