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Airborne Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ACUS)

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety is now the first agency in the nation to implement new drone detection hardware in their helicopters. 

The new tech will allow their aircraft to pinpoint precise locations for unauthorized drones and their operators. 

Texas DPS drone detection

What we know:

Airborne Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ACUS) is a cutting-edge technology mounted on helicopters designed to detect and respond to drones that may pose a potential threat to public safety or emergency operations. 

The tech aims to protect helicopters and DPS officials from unauthorized drones during high-risk missions. 

ACUS is currently installed on one DPS helicopter. 

This new system is strictly for detection and situational awareness purposes, and no direct enforcement or interdiction actions will be taken from the helicopter, the DPS release says. 

What we don’t know:

A timeline for when all DPS helicopters will be equipped with ACUS was not provided. 

‘Protecting our aircrews’

What they’re saying:

“As drone use continues to evolve and expand across the country, so does the potential for these devices to be misused in ways that threaten public safety and law enforcement operations,” said Chief Pilot of DPS’ Aircraft Operations Division Stacy Holland. “Integrating ACUS into our aviation fleet gives us the ability to quickly detect, identify and avoid hostile or unauthorized drones — protecting our aircrews, ground personnel and the communities we serve.”

Law enforcement helicopters and drones

Dig deeper:

Unauthorized drones can pose a significant risk to helicopters in official airspace. 

One example came during the Texas Hill Country flooding, when a law enforcement helicopter had to make an emergency landing after being struck by a private drone. 

The drone was being illegally flown in a restricted airspace, the City of Kerrville said in their release. 

The Source: Information in this article came from Texas DPS.

TexasCrime and Public Safety