Qatar's anti-drone solution aims to make sport events safer

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: Qatar's pioneering anti-drone solution, which is being developed by Rheinmetall Barzan Advanced Technologies (RBAT) to counter the ever-evolving threats in the defence sector, is also currently being groomed to be deployed during major sporting events in the country including the upcoming World Cup. 

The anti-drone system which features a tailored layered defense solution against drone threats is among the latest defence technologies at RBAT, a joint venture between Qatar's Barzan Holdings and German technology firm Rheinmetall. 

Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the opening of Milipol Qatar 2021 yesterday, RBAT's Business Development Director Miles Lalor, said the company has already undertaken a number of proof of concept demonstrations and deployments for the Qatari anti-drone solution, particularly during National Day celebration and the recent sporting events in Qatar. 

'We see that the anti-drone market is moving at an incredible pace, both in terms of the technologies and the threats being faced. And what we're able to do is make sure that Qatar is always at the leading edge of technology to be able to counter those threats for the future." 

"The Qatari anti-drone solution is a continually evolving system. And we're very proud of what we're able to build. We're in active dialogue with the Qatar Armed Forces as well as the Security Services in Qatar to be able to refine the system and demonstrate the capabilities that we're able to bring. We're also looking to continue to deploy into sports. We're very excited about the future and we're very hopeful about being involved in the upcoming World Cup, Lalor said. 

Currently, the anti-drone system integrates and deploys sensor and effector technologies from leading Third Party vendors, and combine them within a Qatari command and control software (Qatari C2). The Qatari C2, another RBAT technology which features AI-based algorithms, can also be used for Qatar's unmanned ground vehicles and persistent surveillance, said Lalor. 

He added that the company will announce new partners for the anti-drone system soon. He went on to highlight the future between drones and anti-drone systems. Lalor said that while drones offer very promising capabilities, they still need to coexist with security requirements. 

'I think we will see a system which is able to provide wide area coverage. You will see friendly drones emitting signals to say they're permitted within various areas, and you will also see counter measures for those drones that stray out of those permitted areas and threaten various venues or piece of critical infrastructure protection. We need to find a way of being able to coexist, and that is something that RBAT actively wants to be a part of and hopes to be able to deliver, Lalor added. 

According to Abdullah Hassan Al Khater, Vice President & Chief Strategic Procurement Officer at Barzan Holdings, while it is still too early to talk about exporting the Qatari anti-drone technology to foreign markets, it is also an opportunity which the company is eyeing in the future. 

'First we would like to ensure that we provide the needed security for the State of Qatar, especially during the major events. This is the strategy of Barzan Holdings; first is to fulfill the local requirements. And once we do that, and in order to be a sustainable organisation, we need to think about exporting. That's a strategy that we use across any sector that we work with. Also, with the World Cup coming as a major event, this is something that we need to ensure we have the right systems to protect and ensure the security during that main event for the State of Qatar, Al Khater added.

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