Australia to install surveillance system for tracking drones

Australia will begin installing surveillance systems next month to identify and track drones. The Australian Aviation Authority reports that these will be installed first at major airports and later at other ‘drone hotspots’.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, CASA for short, says to AFP that the system can identify a drone and its serial number using sensors. In addition, it could calculate the location of the drone pilot when the drone is in the air. Further technical details and what kind of sensors the system uses are not yet known.

In combination with a renewed registration system, which will come into force in mid-2019, and increased maximum fines, the Australian government wants to take stricter measures against offending drone operators. The fines can amount to 10,000 Australian dollars, which is equivalent to 6,179 euros.

Although the technology has been in development for some time, CASA’s communications manager Peter Gibson says the incident at England’s Gatwick Airport “shows how important it is to have such a system.”

On December 19, several drones were spotted there, causing air traffic to come to a standstill several times for long periods. As a result, 140,000 travelers were stranded. Two suspects were arrested, but they have since been released. It is not yet known who piloted the drones, insofar as drones actually flew; the local police take this into account that in reality none were flying at the airport at all.

Update, Tuesday: a British police official stated that consideration was being given to the possibility that in reality there were no drones at London Gatwick at all, but a government source now tells the BBC that it was a miscommunication.