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Crime Government United States Technology

Federal Prison System Wants Anti-Drone Technology (networkworld.com) 156

Posted by samzenpus from the release-the-hawks dept.
coondoggie writes: Looking to counter the threat unmanned aircraft might bring to Federal prison guards and prisoners, the Federal Bureau of Prisons is looking at what types of technology could be used to defeat the drones. The group, which is an agency of the Department of Justice, issued a Request for Information specifically targeting what it called a fully integrated system that will allow for the detection, tracking, interdiction, engagement and neutralization of small — less than 55lb — unmanned aerial systems.
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Federal Prison System Wants Anti-Drone Technology More

Federal Prison System Wants Anti-Drone Technology

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  • Nets... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by moosehooey ( 953907 ) on Wednesday November 04, 2015 @07:20PM (#50867243)

    Just put up a fucking net over the whole thing...

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by MobSwatter ( 2884921 )

      That takes all the sport out of the whole damn thing. They already have anti drone tech and it's called a Benelli Super 90, perhaps they can't see it over the Dunkin Doughnuts box.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by PPH ( 736903 )

        Benelli Super 90

        There's the target aquisition and tracking problem. That could be an issue at night when drones can fly GPS or inertial guidance (night/day doesn't matter to a drone).

    • There is the answer. Put up a net that prevents drones from entering or dropping items into the prison areas. High tech isn't the answer to every problem. Sometimes low tech works just as well plus saves the taxpayers lots of cash!

      • Saving taxpayers cash?? Prisons are for profit now! Extra high tech shit is more stuff you can bill the government for.

      • Going to have to be an awful fine net to prevent drops.

        All they can do is get the packages down to sphincter size and restore the status-quo.

    • Give the prisoners shotguns with bird shot, afterall it's perfectly safe!

    • Some of the smaller drones will fly through something as small as chicken wire.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jonwil ( 467024 )

      The problem with nets is that the area you need to cover is massive.

      I did some measuring on Google Maps of the US federal prison outside Atlanta (just as an example) and the space inside the main fence is equivilant to over 21 NFL football fields in area.

      Now I dont know how much netting costs these days but even at the bulk buy cheap pricing the government would be getting it at, 1214732.80sq ft worth of netting is a LOT of money.

    • That was my first thought as well. Maybe some sort of system to detect if there's a tear in the nets, but otherwise it should be pretty easy to just throw some nets up.

  • The group, which is an agency of the Department of Justice issued a Request for Information specifically targeting what it called a fully integrated systems that will allow for the detection, tracking, interdiction, engagement and neutralization of small â" less the 55lb â" unmanned aerial system.

    - introducing: the NET [clipartpanda.com]. This technology combined with the technology known as the MAN [dreamstime.com] will provide a fully integrated system that will allow for the detection, tracking, interdiction, engagement and neutralization of small - less than the 55lb - unmanned aerial systems.

    Not to be confused with the FLYSWATTER [123rf.com] system though, which is a much weaker solution.

  • Ballfield Net FTW (Score:3)

    by Irate Engineer ( 2814313 ) on Wednesday November 04, 2015 @07:39PM (#50867357)

    Really, really? Put a net such that anything less than 1-inch in size gets snagged. $100 and a trip to Home Depot and you're fucking done.

    The DOC of the states can comment to this post if they want to send me a check for (puts pinkie to mouth) ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!! for this technological masterpiece of innovation.

    God, being a fucking brilliant Irate Engineer is fucking hard. Will all you nitwits shut to hell up and let me think? I'm trying to cure your pattern baldness and homosexuality, dammit, and it's not an easy problem. I might have to submit to a higher authority, which I hate.

    • Really, really? Put a net such that anything less than 1-inch in size gets snagged. $100 and a trip to Home Depot and you're fucking done.

      Please find me such a device or materials to make such a device at homedepot.com or amazon.com or alibaba.com or wherever.
      You can go up to $1000 if you want.

      Snagging shit MORE than 1 inch across along its thinnest axis is easy.

      • Why don't you, you lazy bastard? Why do I need to supply all your inadequacies? Go Google it.

        When you admit that you fail (as you surely will, as you're lazy) I'll be happy to supply the necessary links. I'd hate to deny you an opportunity to learn, since you have so much to learn.

      • Snagging shit MORE than 1 inch across along its thinnest axis is easy.

        Oh, and I'll go for the low hanging fruit in your post and say that you're a pro at this ;) Google, turd-burglar! Google!

      • Please find me such a device or materials to make such a device at homedepot.com or amazon.com

        Here you go. [amazon.com]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by hawguy ( 1600213 )

      Really, really? Put a net such that anything less than 1-inch in size gets snagged. $100 and a trip to Home Depot and you're fucking done.

      The DOC of the states can comment to this post if they want to send me a check for (puts pinkie to mouth) ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!! for this technological masterpiece of innovation.

      God, being a fucking brilliant Irate Engineer is fucking hard. Will all you nitwits shut to hell up and let me think? I'm trying to cure your pattern baldness and homosexuality, dammit, and it's not an easy problem. I might have to submit to a higher authority, which I hate.

      You can buy enough netting (that will stand up to years of exposure) and support structure at Home Depot to cover a large (1 acre? 2 acre?) Prison Yard for $100? Which home depot to you shop at?

      • You can buy enough netting (that will stand up to years of exposure) and support structure at Home Depot to cover a large (1 acre? 2 acre?) Prison Yard for $100? Which home depot to you shop at?

        At the Fucking Awesome Thank God the Irate Engineer Came By so We could Suck His Imperial Cock Home Depot. It's located in downtown Awesome. You certainly haven't been allowed anywhere near that place.

      • Re:Ballfield Net FTW (Score:4, Informative)

        by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 ) on Wednesday November 04, 2015 @08:32PM (#50867677)

        cover a large (1 acre? 2 acre?) Prison Yard for $100?

        Most prison yards are no where near an acre. Last time I was in jail, our outdoor exercise area was 20x50ft, with high concrete walls. They only thing visible was the sky. We called it the "dog kennel". In the movies, they often show large yards, because that allows for more drama. Real prisons like to avoid drama.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by hawguy ( 1600213 )

          cover a large (1 acre? 2 acre?) Prison Yard for $100?

          Most prison yards are no where near an acre. Last time I was in jail, our outdoor exercise area was 20x50ft, with high concrete walls. They only thing visible was the sky. We called it the "dog kennel". In the movies, they often show large yards, because that allows for more drama. Real prisons like to avoid drama.

          Rockview State Prison: http://www.cor.pa.gov/Faciliti... [pa.gov]

          35 acres within the perimeter. Inmates aren't allowed outside of the inner secure yard all the time, but to prevent contraband from being smuggled in, it would have to cover the entire secure perimeter.

        • Well I guess all prisons must be like the one you were in.
        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • the Feds have to start somewhere (domestically) with anti-drone tech so it will be improved and cheaper then all law enforcement can have some

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bswarm ( 2540294 )
      There's supposed to be anti-drone devices in the works due to drones interfering with firefighter aircraft in California.
  • The real problem for prisons is helicopters:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

    Sort of difficult to jam the control system for a vehicle carrying a pilot inside it, isn't it?

    • True. But on the other hand, a full size helicopter is much easier to detect and shoot.

      • True. But on the other hand, a full size helicopter is much easier to detect and shoot.

        You'd think, but guards actually aren't good at it. I was looking over a list of helicopter prison escapes and while the guards have shot at helicopers, I haven't seen one where they hit it.

        The reality is that unless you can hit the pilot, which isn't easy to do when the helicopter is a few hundred yards away and moving in three dimensions, you aren't likely to stop a helicopter with an AR-15 or similar light rifle.

        Sure, with a M-60, M-240, or even M2, you could do it, with some training and practice, and

  • Defensive drones, so they can dogfight.

    • They included that the system being proposed must be able to distinguish friendly drones. So there's some plan for DOJ drones around prisons, or at least planning ahead.

  • They use it everywhere in prisons in fact some max prisons even have it over the prison yard.
    Drone drops payload and it sits on top of that out of reach of the inmates. Then you track the drone and arrest the operators and make them inmates too.
    See win win

  • Isn't it already a felony? It's trespass and in most cases it's the smuggling of contraband into a prison.

    Maybe enforce the laws on the books first, else we might think this is yet another political power grab.

    • Maybe enforce the laws on the books first, else we might think this is yet another political power grab.

      Er, that's the point. To enforce the law properly you need suitable counter-measure.
      Did you actually read anything in the article or summary, or did you just jump at the first opportunity to be anti-establishment?

      • It's not about enforcing the law. It's about the guards getting cut out of their graft.

        Prisons are awash with drugs and other contraband. How do you think it gets in? Carrier pigeon?

        • It's not about enforcing the law. It's about the guards getting cut out of their graft.

          Prisons are awash with drugs and other contraband. How do you think it gets in? Carrier pigeon?

          Probably lots of methods, one of which is drone drop. I fail to see how attempting to remove one of those methods is a bad thing?

          • Only removing the method that the guards couldn't tax is a good thing? I suppose if you're a guard that's true.

            • No-one said this is the only method, the article is merely reporting on a the latest technique, since drone stories make good headlines.
              Tin foil hat much?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjr167 ( 2477430 )
      Cause if I'm smuggling cigarettes and booze to my buddy in prison I care that it's a felony...

  • I realize it's overkill, but how awesome would a phalanx system be?

    • Not overkill if scaled correctly. The concept of the Phalanx could be scaled down to BB sized projectiles, enough to take out a drone but not incur too much collateral damage.

      • You used to be able to order BB machine guns out of the back of 'Boy's Life'. Good old days.

        A 5 HP compressor and 100 of those on gimbles/servos and you're putting up a wall of copper. If I did it, they would find something illegal about it.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Cederic ( 9623 )

        Now that's something to take to Burning Man.

  • "fully integrated systems that will allow for the detection, tracking, interdiction, engagement and neutralization of small â" less than 55lb â" unmanned aerial system."

    Sure no problem, I'm sure that will be a highly successful project. It's good they didn't set an overly ambitious goal. Nothing a few sharks and laser beams couldn't handle. Plenty of cheap prison labor to dig the shark moat.

  • Long range catapult?

    The only change that drones give you is range and accuracy, which admittedly is significant, but not a deal breaker.

  • Geese (Score:3)

    by nowsharing ( 2732637 ) on Wednesday November 04, 2015 @10:41PM (#50868341)
    Geese beware.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • ...the manufacturer of some worthless yet insanely expensive anti-drone system which is soon to be implemented in all prisons as mandated by a law sponsored by the senators for whatever state said manufacturer calls home.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • And the arms race begins!

  • I assume you could load a cartridge (12ga? 10ga?) with a net that is launched at a relatively low velocity. The rest is just a matter of target acquisition and tracking.
  • Because if I'm right they're going to block the 900Mhz to 2,400MHz band around such facilities. But that will run afoul of the FCC regulations because that big chunk of bandwidth also includes cellular, amateur, and wifi.

    Good luck with that.

  • www.homedepot.com/p/Phifer-96-in-x-100-ft-Black-Pet-Screen-3004131/204187914

    Lets light in and keeps the bugs out
    96" x 100 ft

  • Simply cover the exercise yard or any other portion of the prison using chain link as a roof. That way a drone could not hope to deliver much of anything to the prison yards. And if a drone lowered itself enough to carefully pass an item through that ceiling it would make a good test of the guards use of shotguns.

  • A fire hose spraying diluted Coke syrup ought to do the trick...

    Or paintball guns...

    Good practice for the guards, too.

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