Under a new development agreement, Lockheed Martin will pair its Indago quadrotor UAS with the MyDefence Communication KNOX counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS).

​By pairing the systems together, Lockheed Martin and Denmark-based research and development company MyDefence Communication hope to achieve rapid response aerial surveillance capabilities, which will give users the ability to “quickly and effectively detect adversaries and record evidence that could be used for prosecution.”

The KNOX system is an “anti-drone alarm and protection capability paired with Indago to gather real-time information about a suspect drone and its pilot.”

When an unknown UAS is detected in an area of interest, the KNOX alarm goes off, and the Indago ground station receives a target search area for the Indago UAS to explore in an effort to find the unknown UAS operator.

Real-time imagery of a potential subject is provided through this method, which can be utilized by law enforcement to aid in an apprehension attempt.

The KNOX system is also able to detect and identify UAS, and protect the area, by “disturbing the device communication at the precise wireless frequency of the drone without interfering with other mobile signals.”

The companies say that the pairing of the KNOX system and the Indago UAS could be especially beneficial in securing areas such as prisons, critical infrastructure and private property.

MyDefence Communication CEO Christian Steinø says that one of the company’s research areas covers “combating the malicious use of drones in the public domain,” and Steinø believes that this partnership with Lockheed Martin will allow the company to flourish within that particular research area.

“Over the past year, we have noticed a growing need among our customers not only to detect and neutralize a drone, but also to find and prosecute the drone pilot,” Steinø says.

“We look forward to this cooperation and are very pleased that a large company like Lockheed Martin can see opportunities in working with a smaller Danish company.”

Richard Bonnett, general manager, Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies, believes that this partnership will have an impact across the globe.

“Bringing this capability to Indago will add another tool for the system’s users who rely on the Indago for high-quality imaging, easy, all-weather operation and long endurance,” Bonnett says.

“Indago users worldwide could benefit from this enhancement.”