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Homeland Security bulletin warns of weaponized drones and threat to aviation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an updated terror bulletin on Thursday highlighting the threat of weaponized drones, chemical attacks and the continued targeting of commercial aircraft.
"We continue to face one of the most challenging threat environments since 9/11, as foreign terrorist organizations exploit the internet to inspire, enable or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," reads the bulletin.
[...] "The current bulletin introduces unmanned aircraft systems as potential threats and highlights sustained concern regarding threats against commercial aviation and air cargo," said DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton in a statement.
There's been an "uptick in terrorist interest" in using unmanned aerial systems as weapons in the United States and other western countries, according to a senior DHS official. These tactics have been used by terrorists on the battlefield, and the department wants to "guard against those tactics being exported to the west," said the official. The official said that DHS wants to be "forward leaning" about seeing what terrorists are doing overseas and tactics they might adopt in the future.
Since the last bulletin, concerns about terrorist targeting aviation sector have grown, said the official. "[T]errorists continue to target commercial aviation and air cargo, including with concealed explosives," reads the updated bulletin.
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(Score: 3, Informative) by ElizabethGreene on Wednesday November 15 2017, @01:07PM (18 children)
Before you write this off as more silly "Dangerous Drones" FUD, consider that 200Kph RC Turbine Jets and 30Km+ range video and control systems are commercial civilian off-the shelf items. A $180 copy of realflight will teach you how to fly it too.
In Iraq and Syria slower versions of these are being cobbled together from lawnmower engines and used for surveillance. The DJI multirotors you can get from Wal-Mart or Target are being used to drop grenades and AP mortar shells.
It's only a matter of time before these are a newspaper headline.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @02:36PM
Fear, whether from DHS trying to justify their department/job or when an actual attack (staged or not) happens.
Uncertainty, whether the loss of rights trumps 'improved' security measures.
Doubt, whether any of this will help and whether giving up both your drones and privacy is worth it to save us from OMG t3h t3rr0r1stS.
Sounds like the very definition of it to me.
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:12PM (7 children)
Can you provide examples of commercial versions of this?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:39PM (1 child)
I interpreted it as "built from COTS parts".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @05:45PM
That does make some sense as I know I could do it with modules intended or modified for amateur radio use but not within the weight requirements of the payload of an r/c jet. The transmitter capable of 30+km operation is going to be pretty heavy, limited to line of site, and most likely require a fairly sophisticated receiving antenna setup as well.
With out some commercial equipment intended specifically for weight constrained environments I don't see how it is possible to get 30+km video out of a typical r/c jet.
(Score: 3, Informative) by ElizabethGreene on Wednesday November 15 2017, @06:56PM (4 children)
>> 30Km+ range video and control systems are commercial civilian off-the shelf items
>Can you provide examples of commercial versions of this?
http://www.dragonlinkrc.com/ [dragonlinkrc.com] is the one I use.
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Thursday November 16 2017, @12:47AM (3 children)
Thanks for sharing that link. I'm curious about regulations - do you need a license to operate equipment with that much power? I'm in the US and I have a 1 watt 5.8 ghz transmitter I use with my hexacopter but I use it with my amateur radio license. Unlicensed transmitters can't be over a few hundred milliwatts afaik.
(Score: 1) by ElizabethGreene on Wednesday November 22 2017, @11:54PM (2 children)
Yes, the DragonLink is over the no-license power limit for 433 MHz at its maximum power level. A technician class license is sufficient for it.
73, KJ4QCU
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Thursday November 23 2017, @04:15PM
Cool, 70cm! That's a great band. My rig can do SSB on 70cm and the noise floor is so low I can get full copy on stations that don't even move my S meter.
(Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Thursday November 23 2017, @04:28PM
I forgot to ask: do you know what modulation the transmitter is using? FM/AM/QAM?
My transmitter is FM. It is possible though with a transmitter that uses QAM and a few specific frequencies in the 70cm band for an off the shelf cable-ready TV to receive ATV signals with nothing but an antenna. I think ATV (amateur TV) is pretty cool!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:36PM (1 child)
It's only a matter of time before these are a newspaper headline.
Getting there [infobae.com]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 15 2017, @06:28PM
It's probably a matter of even more time before these are newsworthy newspaper headlines.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:40PM
FUD.
Same with all other "omg turristz!" news stories. Higher chance of dying from anything else,but please be afraid of THIS thing because it is convenient for our police state propaganda.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @05:54PM
if the a foreign nation state invades the US i'll be dropping grenades on them too. news at 11.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by HiThere on Wednesday November 15 2017, @06:44PM (2 children)
It's not silly, but it's also not a newly revealed danger. Airlines have been worried about this for years. Actually, they're more worried about careless people taking down a plane accidentally, and that's also a real danger...but not new.
This is just the NHS trying to raise the level of paranoia. This time they picked a real danger, but that was almost irrelevant from their point of view.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday November 15 2017, @10:18PM (1 child)
I haven't heard about any such worry - not from the airlines. Just the security theater department.
A single Canada Goose weighs 4 time what you average consumer drone weighs, and they strike aircraft all the time.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/11/15/bird-smashes-into-american-airlines-flight-gets-embedded-in-nose-plane.html [foxnews.com] (7 hours prior to this post).
http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/plane-had-to-return-to-sea-tac-after-bird-strike/646302935 [kiro7.com] Went right through the engine, no damage.
Drones are incredibly lightly built.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday November 16 2017, @12:46AM
Yeah, but there are places. The air intakes, for instance. It wouldn't take a large hard part to require expensive repairs. And I've heard about worries about them striking the pilot cabin windows. Haven't heard of it happening, though.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday November 15 2017, @10:12PM (1 child)
DJI drones have the payload of a pack of cigarettes.
You've never actually held any live munition in your life have you,
"forward leaning" sounds like a phrase you might have come up with.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by ElizabethGreene on Friday November 17 2017, @11:28PM
The DJI Phantom 4 has a short range payload capacity of 500 grams, 600 grams if you don't mind the motors getting very very hot. This is sufficient payload for an M67 grenade and a second battery for range.
They aren't dropping those though, this source identifies them as pg-7 heads, but they all aren't like this.
http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/01/drones-isis/134542/ [defenseone.com]
For some, it looks like they are using stripped grenade launcher cartridges.
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5db_1498777854 [liveleak.com]
I've counted at least four different munition types on the aircraft. Their highlight reel shows three, the sticks, the pg-7s, and the yellow-tipped round ones.
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a96_1499525712 [liveleak.com]
In another video they bomb a barge carrying vehicles across a river. That one used a stick-and ball munition of unknown origin. (video has been taken down.) I think they were experimenting to find something easily manufactured with a more predictable flight path than the grenade with plastic bag streamer.