Radio Frequency (RF) Jamming is a UAS mitigation technique where the system attempts to disrupt the RF link between the drone and its operator by generating large volumes of RF interference. Once the RF link (which can include Wi-Fi links) is severed, a drone will usually either descend to the ground or initiate a ‘return-to-home’ maneuver. However, this technique has no effect against drones that operate without an active RF link. Many signal jammers also have a limited effective range of a few hundred meters, meaning that the system must be very close to the intruding UAS to mitigate its threats successfully, and they are not effective without a direct line of sight to the UAS. Jammers capable of operating at long ranges and beyond line of sight must be significantly more powerful, but more powerful jammers also pose a higher risk of interference to legitimate communications.
