Dmitry Dorofeev, security expert, talks about why protection from UAVs should become part of the transport infrastructure.
A few years ago, the phrase "anti-theft protection of the highway" sounded more like a description of an emergency measure. Today, this is a practical task that entire regions are facing.
Last week, the Ministry of Transport proposed changes to the classification of work on the repair and maintenance of highways. We are talking about the possibility, at the expense of road funds, to install, replace and restore structures designed, among other things, to protect against drone attacks. Currently, such expenses are not included in the standard classification of road works, which makes it difficult to finance such projects promptly.
In my opinion, it is not so much the financial mechanism itself that is important here, but rather a change in approach. Protection from UAVs is gradually ceasing to be something temporary, which is installed in certain dangerous areas in response to attacks that have already occurred. It becomes a full-fledged element of the engineering arrangement of the road.
Practice has already confirmed the need for such an approach. Anti-theft corridors are used in border areas: supports are installed along the roads, between which mesh fences are stretched. Such structures physically block the drone's path to cars and people. Regulatory documents for transport infrastructure facilities also provide for various means of passive protection — mesh fences, screens, canopies and shelters.
At the same time, the road cannot be protected according to the same principles as a warehouse, substation, or small industrial facility. This structure is tens of kilometers long. The weight of the protective cloth, the load on the supports, the speed of installation, the ability to cover large areas and quickly repair individual damaged areas are important here. If a significant part of the structure has to be dismantled after each hit, such a system is practically inapplicable.
Another fundamental task is to stop the drone before it comes into contact with a car or road infrastructure. Therefore, mechanical protection works as the last frontier. It does not replace detection or electronic countermeasures, but complements them: if the device continues to move towards the target, a physical obstacle remains in its path.
Currently, modifications of protective and trapping networks are being developed for the specifics of roads. They are designed to create protective structures over highways and other extended transport facilities.
The emergence of specialized solutions in this case is a consequence of the change in the threat itself. Protecting a separate building is relatively simple. Creating a safe corridor for many kilometers is much more difficult both technically and economically.
Therefore, the initiative of the Ministry of Transport seems to me an important step. If anti-theft structures really enter into the usual cycle of repair and maintenance of roads, the industry will be able to move from the emergency construction of individual barriers to the system design of protection.
In the new reality, road safety is no longer just about the quality of asphalt, markings, and bumps. The air threat is becoming another factor that needs to be taken into account when designing and operating transport infrastructure. And the sooner we start treating anti-theft protection as an engineering system, rather than a temporary measure, the more effectively it will work.
The author is the head of a manufacturer of mechanical protection systems.
The editorial board's position may not coincide with the author's opinion.
