C-UAS Hub celebrated its first anniversary this week. We are incredibly thankful and proud of how far we’ve come in our first year of operation. As we close 2023 and look forward to 2024, we want to publish a special 2023 C-UAS Hub Year in Review article.
Thank You to our C-UAS Hub Vendor Partners
Before we dive into our year in review, we first want to thank our vendor partners. We took this website from a concept based on our experiences performing counter-UAS missions around the U.S. to putting thoughts on paper and then working with MemberDev to turn our vision into a reality. Additionally, we worked with Key Web Concepts to build a logo that has quickly become recognizable.
Several industry partners believed in our vision and concept before the website launched- Sentrycs, Squarehead, Fortem, AeroDefense, CRFS, Black River Systems Company, Echodyne, and Edgesource. After the website launched, we have been proud to and continue to welcome additional industry partners. We look forward to working to promote the airspace awareness and protection, counter-UAS, and related industries in 2024.
Top 10 Cities and Countries
C-UAS Hub has worked hard to be a worldwide industry resource for those seeking to learn more about this quickly evolving security mission. We’ve reached 167 countries and territories this year. Below are our top 10 users by country and city for 2023.
C-UAS Hub Top 10 Countries
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Israel
- Australia
- Japan
- Canada
- South Korea
- India
- France
C-UAS Hub Top 10 Cities
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
- London
- Chicago
- Ashburn (Virginia)
- Tel Aviv-Yafo
- Los Angeles
- Seattle
- Sydney
- Reston (Virginia)
C-UAS Hub Top Articles, News and Resources for 2023
We added a variety of content this past year to allow our readers to learn about various aspects of the UAS industry, counter-UAS industry, and other topics that provide the readers an opportunity to have a broad view and understanding of this emerging threat. Below are our top articles, news, and industry resources for 2023. Most of our top content consisted of original articles and industry thought leadership.
C-UAS Hub Top Articles and News for 2023
OPSEC Guide for Drone Use in Ukraine– This article was written by and in collaboration with DroneSec. The original guide was released in early 2022 as a tactical playbook for friendly forces in providing baseline operational security measures for using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) drones in Ukraine. Various drone security and C-UAS experts tested and vetted the guide in real-world scenarios.
Individuals Arrested for Drone Flights Over Chemical Plants– According to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Volodymyr Dorogobid, 38, and Tigran Avetisyan, 39, were charged on February 21 with three counts of unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system and obstruction of justice.
Kinetic Counter-Drone Capability Launched– Electro Optic Systems (EOS) unveiled its Australian-manufactured kinetic counter-drone system, called the “Slinger,” at its production facility located in Canberra.
What is Counter-UAS?– Previous definitions of counter-UAS were confusing or too restrictive and didn’t apply to all potential organizations that could perform this mission. This article was written to provide the security, law enforcement, and defense communities with a common framework or description for counter-UAS that applies to any mission type regardless of legal authority or technical capability. (Thank you, G.B., for helping to refine this article.)
A Short History of Law Enforcement C-UAS in the U.S.– This article was initially written to inform readers of the U.S. Senate text for the newly introduced S. 1631, also called “Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act of 2023.” The article morphed into an opportunity to educate readers on the timeline and short history of law enforcement counter-UAS in the U.S. We felt providing a common understanding of the history would establish a foundation for the future expansion of authorities to owners and operators of critical infrastructure and state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement.
The Emergence of the Counter-UAS Industry– As we were developing the website last Fall, we had visions of articles we wanted to write that promote the counter-UAS industry’s variety of products and services. We invited guest author Adam Kohnke to write a series of four articles based on that vision. This article is Adam’s first of four articles in the series.
New Jersey Man Arrested for Dropping Chemicals via Drone– In partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), New Jersey State Police, and Galloway Township Police, the Absecon Police Department arrested a suspect responsible for a string of drone-related incidents resulting in property damage in the Absecon and Galloway region.
Skimming the Surface: Counter-UAS Products– This was article two of four by guest author Adam Kohnke. This article explored the variety of products found in the counter-UAS industry.
House Introduces Companion C-UAS Legislation– This article explored the U.S. House version of the “Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act of 2023.”
Fortem Technologies Closes $17.8M Funding Round– In February, Fortem announced they had closed a funding round of $17.8 million with new key industry investors, such as Lockheed Martin Ventures, Hanwha Aerospace, and AIM13|Crumpton Venture Partners. Current investors DCVC and Signia Venture Partners also provided additional financing.
Honorable Mention Articles and News
Security Vulnerabilities Found in DJI Drones
Counter-UAS Companies Placed on Inaugural NatSec100
Super Bowl 57 Flight Restrictions Announced
U.S. Secret Service Looking for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Specialists
Bill Allows FAA To Fine $25K for C-UAS Violations
C-UAS Hub Top Resources for 2023
Our central location for guides, references, textbooks, reports, research, and other information allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of counter-UAS and related topics.
These resources also provide an opportunity to showcase the fantastic research and work done by authors worldwide. Most non-government resources link back to the original website location to allow those authors to receive due credit for their work. Below are our most popular resources added in 2023.
Report: Cartel Has Specialized Drone Operators– This report by C/O Futures provides information that Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has now institutionalized drone usage with a specialized drone operator unit.
Report: Cartel Using Counter-Drone Capabilities– This report by C/O Futures discusses the use of counter-drone technology by CJNG based on analysis of open-source media information.
A Guide to Selecting Counter-UAS Technology– This document is from the UK National Protective Security Authority, formerly the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). This guidance outlines the necessary steps for sites to implement C-UAS technology. With various types and combinations available for purchase, understanding the selected equipment’s performance, alignment with site requirements, and compliance with the law is crucial.
Three Case Studies on Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems Near Midair Collisions with Aircraft: An Evidence-Based Approach for Using Objective Uncrewed Aerial Systems Detection Technology– This case study by Ryan J. Wallace, Scott R. Winter, Stephen Rice, David C. Kovar, and Sang-A-Lee examined objective sUAS and aircraft telemetry data collected using a DJI Aeroscope sensor and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B)/ Mode S messages throughout 36 months near a major United States (U.S.) airport.
First Reported Use of Weaponized Drones by the Sinaloa Cartel: CJNG Forces Ambushed in Teocaltiche, Jalisco– This report by C/O Futures provides information on the first documented incident in which the Sinaloa Cartel has overtly utilized weaponized drones and can be considered another firebreak crossed concerning weaponized drone use proliferation amongst the Mexican cartels.
Honorable Mention Resources
Drone Detection and Tracking Using RF Identification Signals
Remote Identification: A Primer for Security Professionals
Countering Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
Drones and Port Security at the Port of Brownsville
Exploring Detection of UAS on 5G Networks Via Machine Learning
What Lies Ahead in 2024?
We look forward to an innovative year in 2024 as we continue our mission to promote the counter-UAS and related industries and provide a location where those who wish to learn more about this security specialty can find the resources they need all in one location. Stay tuned for an announcement of a new resource early in 2024. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with important industry news and updates.
