How do we take control of truly dangerous drone situation?
Jeffrey Starr is Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions. D-Fend Solutions is the leading global provider of cyber-takeover, counter-drone solutions for sensitive and challenging environments. By focusing on the acute drone threat, their technology enables organizations around the world to maintain full control, safety, and continuity during rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments and be prepared for future threats. The company’s core offering, called EnforceAir, automatically executes radio frequency cyber-takeovers of rogue drones for safe landings and safe outcomes.
Jeffery brings a track record of generating revenue and building market leadership through visionary business strategies. Prior to joining D-Fend Solutions, Jeffrey served as CMO and in executive roles at AlgoSec, Cellebrite, Verisk 3E, Magic Software Enterprises and Amdocs. Jeffrey also served as General Partner at Mission Ventures VC fund and as an Analyst at Booz Allen.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jeffrey talks about D-Fend Solutions and ways the company is helping organizations throughout the world create safer skies by controlling dangerous drone situations.
What is the Role of Drone Forensics in Protecting Against Drone Incursions
Grant Jordan is CEO at SkySafe, a leader in Cloud-based drone defense and airspace awareness solutions. Founded in 2015, SkySafe provides advanced technology to protect people and places against drone threats. The company’s technology allows governments, law enforcement, airports, corporations, cities, and more to manage their airspace with drone data and analytics. Skysafe applies advanced radio technology, reverse engineering, and deep threat analysis to develop tools to safely and effectively operate authorized drones while protecting against threats to airspace security.
The company has also evolved into a leader in the drone forensics space. By performing deep data extraction on downed or recovered drones, Skysafe’s forensic technology allows investigators to match metadata with flight logs, serial numbers, and other unique identifiers. This process ensures that experts are able to decisively conclude that a drone they have in their possession is the same drone that was detected acting maliciously or illegally while it was in the air.
After graduating from MIT, Grant served as an officer in the US Air Force for four years. At the Air Force Research Lab, he designed and built hardward systems for counter-IED missions and small UAVs, specializing in rapid product development for Special Forces units. Grant has spoken at numerous conferences including DEFCON and the Commercial UAV Expo.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Grant talks about Skysafe, the company’s counter drone and forensics services, and the role that drone forensics have in an integrated counter drone solution.
Which countries are leading in Counter UAS Technology?
Mary Beth Long is a member of the board of directors of Red Cat Holdings. Red Cat Holdings is a military technology company that integrates robotic hardware and software to provide critical situational awareness and actionable intelligence to on-the-ground warfighters and battlefield commanders. Its mission is to enhance the effectiveness and safety of military operations domestically and globally – and to “Dominate the Night.” Red Cat’s suite of solutions includes Teal Drones, developer of the Golden Eagle, a small unmanned system with the highest resolution imaging for nighttime operations, and Skypersonic, a leading provider of unmanned aircraft for interior spaces and other dangerous environments.
I have published previous podcast interviews with both Red Cat Holdings subsidiaries. Episode 309 features George Matus, CEO of Teal Drones and Episode 386 features Giuseppe Santangelo CEO of Skypersonic.
Mary Beth is founder of M B Long & Associates, an international legal and advisory firm. From 2007-2009, Mary Beth served as the first woman confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and as Chair of NATO’s High Level Group, responsible for NATO’s nuclear policy. In her defense department roles, she also acted as Principal Deputy Secretary of Defense on the Middle East, Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Asia, and Southeast Asia; and was the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Counter Narcoterrorism with a budget of over $1 billion. To those credentials, she adds more than a decade of Central Intelligence Agency operational experience on terrorism and other security issues.
After leaving government, Mary Beth founded Metis Solutions LLC. Under her tenure as CEO, the company was recognized in Inc. Magazine’s List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2014, 2015, and 2016. She was recently featured in Forbes magazine’s Women Business Leaders. Mary Beth advises several Fortune 500 companies on international defense markets. She has served as a Senior Subject Matter Expert for the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and as a Senior International Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Colombia.
Mary Beth has advised several Presidential candidates and appears regularly on Fox News, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera English and NPR on Middle East issues and the Intelligence Community. She is a licensed lawyer and, from 1999 until 2004, was an associate specializing in civil litigation matters at Williams & Connolly LLP. She also travels regularly to the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Afghanistan and has offices in Abu Dhabi and Kabul.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Mary Beth talks about Red Cat Holdings, the current challenges and opportunities for counter drone solutions and the future of protecting critical assets from drone incursions.
How is it possible to stop a rogue drone when there are crowds of people nearby?
Jeffrey Starr is Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions. D-Fend Solutions is a technology company that supports the growth of safe and secure drone adoption with innovative solutions that defend against rogue drone threats. The company’s EnforceAir system has protected some of the world’s most important leaders, gatherings and organizations from the threat of rogue drones, including the G7 Summit and championship sporting events with tens of thousands of fans in attendance. This non-jamming, non-kinetic solution has been selected as a best-in-class radio frequency (RF), cyber-takeover system. In September 2021, a rogue drone appeared over a large public Mass led by Pope Francis in Slovakia. The threat was neutralized by EnforceAir without any disruption.
Jeffry brings a track record of generating revenue and building market leadership through visionary business strategies. Prior to joining D-Fend Solutions, Jeffrey served as CMO and in executive roles at AlgoSec, Cellebrite, Verisk 3E, Magic Software Enterprises and Amdocs. Jeffrey also served as General Partner at Mission Ventures VC fund and as an Analyst at Booz Allen.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jeffrey talks about D-Fend Solutions, the company’s innovative EnforceAir drone detection and mitigation system and how it successfully and safely neutralized a drone threat to Pope Francis in 2021.
Is there a way to protect whole cities from drone incursions?
Aaditya Devarakonda (AD) is CEO of Dedrone, a world leader in protecting organizations from malicious drones by securing the airspace using advanced hardware and software technology.
Today’s security requires a layered approach that keeps up with the evolution of drone technology. Dedrone’s sensors, software and communication technology detects, classifies, and protects against drone threats, including localizing the drone. Their passive and active countermeasures can be triggered, tailoring the defense mechanism to the severity of the threat. The company works with smart city customers as well as those across public safety, critical infrastructure, governments, correctional facilities, and enterprises to protect against unwanted drones.
As CEO of Dedrone, AD oversees the company's global growth and continues to build on its reputation as the market leader in smart airspace security. He brings a deep understanding of regulatory environment, industry dynamics and AI/Machine Learning technology to his role at Dedrone. His career includes working with companies leading the frontier technology world of IoT, 5G, semiconductors and next-gen security platforms. Prior to Dedrone, AD served as a senior member of the Technology Investment Banking Group at Centerview Partners. He has also held strategic finance and investment roles at Credit Suisse and Procter & Gamble.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, AD talks about Dedrone’s detection solutions, an innovative partnership with Swisscom Broadcast to protect their clients from drone incursions and how this technology could, in the future, as a shield to protect cities.
For that question, we head to Colorado to speak with Ken Geyer CEO and co-founder of Liteye Systems, Inc and Keven Gambold, CEO and co-founder of Unmanned Experts. Liteye Systems is a world leader and technology solutions manufacturer and integrator of military and commercial Counter UAS systems. Unmanned Experts is a world-leading provider of Subject Matter Expertise in the fields of autonomous robotics, swarms, UTM, and mass data. The companies recently formed a partnership to address drone swarms.
Ken is an entrepreneur who launched eight companies, including co-founding and starting Liteye back in January 2000. From virtual reality hardware & software to the new frontier of counter unmanned systems, his focus has been on developing, and advancing products that provide end-users with the tools to achieve their goals.
Keven completed 21 years of active duty service with the Royal Air Force as a front-line combat pilot. He has more than 1500 hours in Tornado GR4 fast-jets as well as over 1500 hours of unmanned combat missions. He completed his tours as the senior Standards Evaluator and the project officer for both Multi-Aircraft Control and Advanced UAV Cockpit programs.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ken and Keven talk about their respective companies, the current state of UAS threats and the evolving threats posed by UAS Swarm technology.
How are companies responding to UAS threats worldwide?
Lucas Le Bell is CEO and Co-Founder of Cerbair, a counter company protects sensitive sites and events from dangerous drone activity. Michael Monnik is a cyber security consultant and founder of DroneSec a drone-security service that provides organizations with life-saving alerts and data on drone threats to their assets. Drone Sec and Cerbair have signed a partnership through which CERBAIR will provide its customers with weekly information in French, English, and Arabic on developing threats identified by DroneSec.
The DroneSec team comprises analysts including former hackers, military drone pilots and fighter pilots; the company audits, trains and informs its clients on the risks posed by drones to sensitive infrastructure. The partnership also benefits from ad hoc data sources from “Notify”, the UAV Threat Intelligence database of more than 3,000 incidents classified by severity. It is an example of how companies are working together to adapt to evolving drone threats worldwide
In this edition of the drone radio show, Lucas and Mike talk about their respective companies, the nature of today’s drone threats and their partnership to deliver an enhanced level of counter UAS threat intelligence.