Israeli Drone Dome rescues London airport from shutdown

A Drone Dome battery. Photo courtesy of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems After mysterious unmanned aerial vehicles caused 36 hours of paralysis at London’s Gatwick Airport last week, stranding more than 100,000 travelers, the British military saved the day with one of six Drone Domes it had purchased a few months ago from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Rafael’s Drone Dome pinpoints the suspicious drone and jams the radio frequencies used by its operator to control it. The UAV then either flies out of control or crashes to the ground. The system incorporates cutting-edge technologies including electro-optics, radar and signal intelligence. The Drone Dome system reportedly has been used to protect against hostile drones during battles against ISIS in Mosul and eastern Syria. Drone Dome can be operated from a stationary or mobile position. The UK Ministry of Defence was its first foreign customer. Friday night, two people were arrested in connection with the UAV incident, and by Saturday Gatwick began functioning again following the cancellation of 1,400 flights due to the drone disruption.