Detect & Defeat Drone Threats
The superyacht fraternity is waking up to the growing threat that drones pose for privacy, safety and security on board their yachts.
Recent years have seen a massive advance in drone endurance, range and payload capacity whilst the price has also plummeted, leading to a proliferation of drones expected to reach twelve million by 2020. The potential for a drone to deliver an explosive charge or even payloads such as nerve-gas on board a superyacht is a stark reality. Paparazzi intrusion using drones approaching superyachts is already a recognised and growing problem.
Yachts in port, at anchor or on coastal transits are simply ‘sitting ducks’ that are currently powerless to know if/when they are going to be attacked, let alone be in a position to defend against the threat. To combat this emerging threat, Martek Marine has developed the D-FENCE superyacht drone detection and defeat system. D-FENCE detects and identifies commercial drones within a 20km+ range, providing GPS positioning of both drone and pilot together with the drone’s speed and direction. Configurable and escalating stage alarms in real time allow the threat level to be assessed in good time.
Once a real drone threat has been established, the system enables a 500m+ electronic exclusion zone to be created around the yacht. Should the drone approach this exclusion zone, its control/video signal will be blocked, initiating its fail-safe mode forcing it to land or return to its operator. Since the recent launch of the system, Martek have secured a strong order book and are expanding operations to meet growing worldwide demand. Martek are actively seeking new global partners and agents for D-FENCE in the luxury yacht sector.