Drones and operations
Counter-UAS (C-UAS)
Systems and methods used to detect, track, identify, and, where lawful, stop unauthorized drones.
UAS / sUAS
Unmanned aircraft system. sUAS is the small category, generally under 55 pounds, that drives most of the drone-incursion problem.
Remote ID
An FAA rule (14 CFR Part 89) that requires most drones to broadcast their identity and location by radio so they can be identified in flight.
Detection and response
Detection vs mitigation
Detection means sensing and identifying a drone, which is generally permitted broadly. Mitigation means interfering with or bringing one down, which is tightly restricted and generally limited to specific federal authorities. This line decides what a site may lawfully do.
Jamming
Transmitting radio energy to disrupt a drone's control, video, or navigation links. In the United States, jamming is heavily restricted and generally unlawful outside specific federal authorities.
Spoofing
Feeding false signals, often GPS or other satellite-navigation signals, to mislead a drone about where it is or where it is going.
Spectrum and signals
RF (radio frequency)
The part of the electromagnetic spectrum used for wireless communication and control. It is the medium most drones rely on for command, video, and navigation.
Spectrum and the ISM bands
Spectrum is the range of radio frequencies. The unlicensed 2.4 and 5.8 GHz ISM bands are where most consumer drones operate.
SIGINT, COMINT, ELINT
Signals intelligence is information drawn from intercepting electronic signals. COMINT covers communications. ELINT covers non-communication emissions such as radar.
EW (electronic warfare)
Use of the electromagnetic spectrum to sense, protect, or attack, including jamming and related techniques.
Regulatory and process
NPRM and R&O
A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is the stage where an agency proposes a rule and takes public comment. A Report and Order is the final rule that follows.
Docket
The numbered case file an agency uses to track a proceeding and all of its filings.
FCC, NTIA, FAA, DoD
The FCC regulates commercial spectrum. NTIA manages federal government spectrum. The FAA regulates the airspace and drone operations. The Department of Defense handles military spectrum and electronic warfare.
Covered List
The FCC's list of communications equipment judged to pose a national-security risk. Being added restricts sale and use in the United States.
Preventing Emerging Threats Act (2018)
The federal law that authorizes the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to detect, track, and mitigate drone threats to certain covered facilities and assets.
TCO (total cost of ownership)
The full multi-year cost of a system, including hardware, installation, software, maintenance, and staffing. See the TCO calculator.