Numerous media outlets have recently reported that Queensland police used a DroneShield Drone Gun to take down a errant drone that flew close to a Commonwealth Games venue. In reality it seems the drone was landed by its pilot.

If the initial reports had proven to be true this would have been the first publicly documented incident of a Drone Gun taking down a drone. Back in February DroneShield announced that the Queensland Police Service would be equipped with their Drone Gun during the 21st Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane (4 -15 April 2018). In the run up to the games it was widely reported that a civilian drone strayed into the ‘aerial exclusion zone’ around one of the Games’ venues.

DroneShield’s DroneGun (DroneShield)

It seems, however, that the news of the success was premature as Fast Company have reported that Queensland Police confirmed that the Drone Gun “wasn’t actually used in this case.” Instead, the drone’s pilot landed his drone at his property after hovering above the exclusion zone’s 400m height limit. Officers from Queensland Police tracked the drone as it landed and spoke to the pilot and subsequently reported the incident to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Queensland Police Service confirmed that they “will use a range of capabilities including DroneShield’s DroneGun to detect, and disrupt unauthorized drone activity during GC2018 to ensure the safety and security of the public.”

DroneShield also recently announced that they have agreed a $210,000 contract from their European distributor to establish a demonstration hub near to the NATO offices in the Netherlands. CEO of DroneShield, Oleg Vornik, said:

We are delighted for a European demonstration hub for our products to have been established in one of the key NATO countries. As the density of the drone ‘population’ has increased dramatically, the frequency and the severity of incidents have gone up. As a result, governmental end-users have now recognised the need to have tools at their disposal to detect and mitigate drones.

Sources:

‘Australian Police Down Rogue Drone at Gold Coast Games’, DroneLife, retrieved 28/03/18 from source

‘Did police use an anti-drone gun at the Commonwealth Games? Not exactly’, Fast Company, retrieved 31/03/18 from source

‘DroneShield secures order of $210,000 for anti-drone products for a demo hub near the NATO offices in the Netherlands’. DroneDJ, retrieved 02/04/18 from source