Houthi rebels from Yemen have recently tried to attack Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, resulting in a forced momentary closure of the airport. The attack was carried out using explosive-laden drones, as was confirmed by Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare’e.
A Saudi-led coalition was able to intercept the drone and prevent damage or deaths in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. This was already the second drone being intercepted by the coalition within 24 hours and the Houthis have repeatedly targeted the Abha airport with drones and missiles in the past 2 years. Many have been intercepted, but some have caused deaths and injuries.
After some months of relative quiet, cross-border attacks from the Houthis have escalated once again since late May, when the truce that had been prompted by the Corona Virus pandemic came to an end.
The Saudi coalition has retaliated with multiple air strikes on Yemeni areas held by the rebels.
The drones used by the Houthis in the attack were the Samad 3 long-range UAV, named after the Houthi leader Saleh al-Sammad, assassinated by the United Arab Emirates in 2018. This new drone model is capable of flying for distances up to 1,500km using a single fuel tank. It is however not considered particularly reliable nor precise or fast (it has a maximum speed of 160mph).
As drone attacks become more frequent in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world, it is becoming imperative for governments and air forces to equip themselves with the right instruments to avoid disaster. One possible solution is the DJI AeroScope, which can identify the most popular drones on the market today by monitoring and analyzing their electronic signals to gain critical information.
Aeroscope is an innovative and comprehensive drone detection platform that is able to identify the most popular drones on the market today. It gathers information such as flight status, paths and other monitoring data in real time, as well as drone serial numbers.
The best solution for the protection of large-scale sites is the Aeroscope Stationary Unit. This system can be customized depending on user demands in order to completely cover the surrounding airspace. It can monitor and area of up to 50km and obtain information regarding drones within a few seconds.
The Aeroscope Portable Unit is designed for temporary events, mobile deployments and similar situations. Users can easily operate in a new or mobile location thanks to the single carrying case of the unit. This is the ideal solution for emergencies and wherever stationary units are not available or cannot be installed.
The system can be integrated with existing security systems by using the Aeroscope Backstage Management System. This platform provides central monitoring, command and investigation tools, and is able to integrate data collected from previous flights for in-depth analysis.
DJI is committed to creating a safe public airspace and finding the best possible solutions for each client.
AirWorks UAE is the official DJI Enterprise Dealer in Dubai, providing industry-specific training and consultancy, as well as all enterprise products.
