The U.S. government has purchased a hundred drone military jammers to protect government facilities, property, and personnel. These military jammers interfere with radio control of the drone, avoiding dangerous alternatives involving bullets and other projectiles. According to Defencetech, Battelle Labs sold its portable military drone jammers to the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. These signal jammers look like the intersection between an old-fashioned TV antenna and an assault rifle and can block drones more than 400 meters away.
The drone jammer works by directing radio energy to the drone, disrupting the connection between the drone and the operator. Jammers operate in common industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) frequency bands. The 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies are part of the ISM band and are one of the most common drone control frequencies.
These military jammer also interfere with GPS signals, an important feature of drones based on satellite navigation guidelines. Once stuck, the drone can be guided to hover. This type of "soft killing" method is to disable the drone by cutting commands and navigation links, rather than more dynamic methods, such as a bird-fired gun. The flow of radio wave energy will not harm people or cause property damage.
The system includes a battery pack weighing several kilograms and can be used continuously for up to five hours. The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security purchased a total of 100 drone blocking devices, but will not discuss specific unit costs or the agents that will receive them.