Drone localisation for critical infrastructures using the 450detect project as an example

In the future, it is expected that drones and swarms of drones will be used in attacks on critical infrastructure. Their defence requires systems for attack detection that can detect individual drones or entire swarms of drones at a distance of at least one kilometre with a short reaction time and in all light and weather conditions.

Against this background, BDEW, Fraunhofer FKIE and 450connect GmbH have decided to provide experimental proof of the suitability of an LTE450 base station as an illuminator for passive radar detection of a drone. As an illuminator, the 450 MHz radio network offers the advantage over other sources of opportunity that it is tailored to the requirements of critical infrastructures. The experiments showed that the drone used could be detected with a very high probability up to a range of over one kilometre.

About the speaker

Mathias Böswetter is head of the KRITIS, cyber and security policy department at the BDEW German Association of Energy and Water Industries. In this role, he supports the current KRITIS legislation for the energy and water industry and manages the 450detect project for drone localisation for critical infrastructures using 450 MHz passive radar. Mathias Böswetter is also the spokesperson for the TAK Regulation in the UP KRITIS. 
Mathias Böswetter previously worked for many years at the German Energy Agency and the German Solar Industry Association, focusing on the digitalisation of the energy transition and IT security