A cool story, buried beneath bollocks
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How Ukraine learned to cloak its drones from Russian surveillance
AeroScopes identify drone operator positions thanks to something called DroneID, a program that is part of DJI drones’ firmware.
This article is misleading. It paints a picture of China and Russia colluding to make drones vulnerable to tracking technology. DJI’s AeroScope tool, developed for western authorities to protect restricted airspace from unauthorised drones, is presented as a surveillance tool. And DJI’s DroneID is treated like some sort of nefarious tracking device when in reality the FAA literally requires DroneID.
When drones were new and novel toys in the West, a number of incidents scared authorities. The fear of drones taking down an airliner led to a lot of new counter-drone programs. DJI had to demonstrate that they were responsible corporate actors and develop a solution for countering drones.
The article positions the AeroScope as some new anti-drone technology developed by the axis of evil to hunt freedom fighters. It is not. It’s a tool developed by DJI in response to demands from western governments for counter-drone solutions. It is marketed and sold as a way of tracking unauthorised drones.
The vulnerability of commercial drone operators on the battlefield is intentional. When US backed forces were targeted by ISIS using DJI drones, the Americans were intent on making drones unsuitable for battlefield use. Now that both sides rely on DJI drones the US is complaining about their lack of security for the battlefield.
The interesting kernel of information in the article is how drone operators are using open-source DJI hacking tools to make their drones more stealthy.
The Russians and Ukrainians were and are using commercial DJI drones on the battlefield. The AeroScope can be used on the battlefield to retrieve a load of information from unhardened drones. This is a risk that comes from using commercial platforms in battlefield conditions. Exactly what the US wanted.