Micro-drones (or micro-UAVs), the youngest, smallest, newest exhibitors at the 90-year-old Paris Air Show, got 2,215 fellow exhibitors, including the big boys from the military and commercial jet industry, on the defensive in a very big way.
Military, security forces and other industry organizations are more than a little wary of the menace posed by mini and micro flying machines in the wrong hands.
The thought of a single, very inexpensive $1500 micro-drone going after a $60 million Russian Su-35 had Le Bourget Field abuzz with speculation.
The silver lining in the fear and loathing surrounding these small aircraft is that therein awaits a potentially multi-million dollar industry to protect people and infrastructure from these threats.
Laser weapon technology is one promising avenue for anti-drone defense.
Whether laser or a fish net, the threat of mini- or micro-drones has come on very fast and is very real. And in the process will undoubtedly create lots of new jobs?well-paying jobs at that?in the soon-to-be-burgeoning anti-drone business.
