Non-Kinetic Solutions to UAS

Posted: November 15th, 2016

By Michael A. Balazs

Dr. Michael A. Balazs serves as the Technology Integrator (TI) for MITRE's Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, and Defense Intelligence programs. In this role, he coordinates research needs and technology transition between MITRE IR&D programs and its sponsors. He co-coordinates a portfolio of small Unmanned Aerial System programs ranging the Commercial of the Shelf Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) work program to the MITRE Challenge for Countering Unauthorized Aerial Systems. Additionally, he leads research in the area of non-traditional computational clusters.

By Jonathan Rotner

During his time at MITRE, Jonathan Rotner has focused on applying Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Technology to Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications. His projects have ranged from smartphones, to 3D printing, to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), to mixing all 3, to swarms, to trying to stop the drones that we've created. He has worked on internal research programs and sponsor projects, strategy teams to technology development, and enjoys working with STEM in the community.

There is growing evidence that non-state actors are incorporating drone technology into their unconventional tactics, prompting concerns from militaries on how they can effectively counter this emerging threat. The Cipher Brief spoke with Michael Balazs and Jonathan Rotner, who conducted MITRE’s counter-UAS challenge with the goal of finding non-kinetic interdiction solutions that could be used in urban environments of future insurgencies.

The Cipher Brief: What are some challenges coming from the proliferation of small, commercially available, remotely controlled aircraft?

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