Queensland cops to be armed with anti-drone guns during Commonwealth Games next month

AHEAD of the Commonwealth Games next month, Queensland police have shiny a new addition to their arsenal.

QUEENSLAND police will be packing some serious heat during the Commonwealth Games next month as authorities will be equipped with technology used to combat the Islamic State terror group in the Middle East.

Police will have guns capable of shooting drones out of the sky, produced by Sydney-based security firm DroneShield. The weapon uses technology rather than bullets to disable the drones and bring them down by cutting the signal between the drone and its operator.

The guns can reportedly target drones within a 2km radius and can also scramble any video feed the drone is broadcasting.

“What the gun does is take control of the GPS and either cut it so the drone doesn’t know where it is or it will take control of the GPS and send it back where it came from,” DroneShield chairman Peter James told the Gold Coast Bulletin over the weekend.

According to the report, DroneShield has been working with Queensland police over the past 12 months to teach officers how to handle the drone guns.

Similar devices have been used to protect the skies over sporting events in the United States including the 2017 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and the Boston Marathon and DroneShield says its technology has been used by military forces in the Middle East to combat IS.

GCB Couple DroneGun MKII will be as used at the Comm Games.

The device works by taking control of the drone.

Today Queensland police revealed officers used the anti-drone gun to bring down a suspect drone flying near a Commonwealth Games venue on Sunday night.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told media of the bust during a press conference on the Gold Coast.

“We were able to take down that operator and refer the matter to CASE (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) for breaches committed by that person operating that unmanned aerial vehicle,” he said.

DroneShield says the rise of drones has allowed new and creative ways to penetrate highly secure environments and the company hopes its suite of products can provide protection for governments and private companies looking to mitigate against the airborne threat.

DroneShield’s website highlights trends such as the growing use of drones to drop drugs and other contraband inside prisons as something its products are designed to combat.

Mr James said there’s a shift taking place in modern weapons towards an importance on electronic energy.

“The world of security, police and warfare used to be about kinetic energy, that is things that went bang. Now it is becoming more and more about electronic energy,” he told The Bulletin.

He said groups like Islamic State “are effectively getting drones off the shelves and strapping grenades to them and terrorising coalition forces (in the Middle East)”.

The ASX-listed company recently raised $2.55 from investors to further develop its drone detection and countermeasure technologies.

DroneShield has developed patented software and hardware to detect drones and small unmanned air vehicles.

Queensland police have confirmed they will be using the drone guns to help protect fans at the sporting event while the Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski urged the public to “leave your drone at home” during the event.

The Commonwealth Games kicks off next week on April 4 and runs through to April 15.

The city has invested heavily to upgrade its transport networks ahead of the Games which are expected to inject upwards of $2 billion into the local economy.