Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) – or drones – become more accessible, law enforcement agencies find themselves confronted with the task of policing the lower airspace.
In addition to commercial and recreational use, drones can be used for criminal activities such as filming in restricted areas, smuggling drugs and other contraband, carrying out terrorist operations, and disrupting critical infrastructure (for example, airports).
Law enforcement officers need to be able to select the appropriate technology to detect, track and intervene when an illicit drone enters the airspace.
While a number of commercial solutions are available for these purposes, there is no standardized approach for assessing, testing and comparing the technology, which makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to make the most appropriate choice for different policing scenarios.
Project Courageous has developed a standardized methodology for testing and selecting countermeasure systems that can be used to detect and track a drone that enters protected airspace or a no-fly zone. This methodology will be based on a series of standard scenarios that represent a wide range of locations and situations, for example, security at prisons, airports, critical infrastructure and borders, and countering drug and human trafficking.
Read more about Project Courageous on our website:
https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Innovation/Projects/Project-Courageous
As Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) – or drones – become more accessible, law enforcement agencies find themselves confronted with the task of policing the lower airspace.
In addition to commercial and recreational use, drones can be used for criminal activities such as filming in restricted areas, smuggling drugs and other contraband, carrying out terrorist operations, and disrupting critical infrastructure (for example, airports).
Law enforcement officers need to be able to select the appropriate technology to detect, track and intervene when an illicit drone enters the airspace.
While a number of commercial solutions are available for these purposes, there is no standardized approach for assessing, testing and comparing the technology, which makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to make the most appropriate choice for different policing scenarios.
Project Courageous has developed a standardized methodology for testing and selecting countermeasure systems that can be used to detect and track a drone that enters protected airspace or a no-fly zone. This methodology will be based on a series of standard scenarios that represent a wide range of locations and situations, for example, security at prisons, airports, critical infrastructure and borders, and countering drug and human trafficking.
Read more about Project Courageous on our website:
https://www.interpol.int/How-we-work/Innovation/Projects/Project-Courageous
