Football World Cup 2022: drones will monitor the stadiums

To counter the growing risk of a terrorist attack using drones, Qatar enlists Fortem Technologies to protect stadiums during the FIFA World Cup. This will deploy drones capable of intercepting enemy drones in midair.

The war in ukraine showed how the drone can be formidable weapons. Faced with a risk of terrorist attack during the FIFA World Cup, Qatar is setting up a security system to prevent drones from attacking stadiums. The chosen solution will use drones of a particular kind.

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has entered into an agreement with Fortem Technologies which will deploy ” drone interceptor drones “. Called “DroneHunter”, the devices will be autonomous and guided by radar. They are equipped with a net that they can shoot at a target to immobilize it and then move it to safety. When the target is too large to be transported by drone, the interceptor will use a net with a parachute so that it lands smoothly without the risk of injuring anyone.

Terrorist drones will be detected by radar

The drones are part of the SkyDome system which also includes its radar TrueView assisted by Artificial Intelligence. Timothy Bean, co-founder of Fortem, says targets are identified through ” a series of very small radars distributed throughout the site, creating a complete image of the airspace directly above “. The noise from the drones, however, should not be audible during matches as they operate more than a kilometer from the stadium.

According to Fortem Technologies, the DroneHunter can stop U.S. Rating Group 1 and 2 drones, up to 25 kg. The manufacturer recently deployed a portable version in Ukraine, capable of stopping Russian Orlan 10 drones which have a wingspan of 3.1 m. The firm has also already used anti-drone systems during other sporting events as well as during the World Economic Forum in Davos.