Daily Junction.mobi portal<p>Kinetic or <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jul/08/2003958884/-1/-1/1/SMALL-DRONES-BIG-PROBLEMS-A-FIRST-PRINCIPLES-APPROACH-TO-COUNTER-UAS.PDF">“hard-kill”</a> options include lasers, nets, projectiles and <a href="https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/4901dc71-7424-415c-99cd-8f6e6545e64c/Martins%20et%20al%20-%20Countering%20the%20Drone%20Threat%20-%20PRIO%20Paper%202020.pdf?inline=true">high-power microwaves</a>. They are typically understood as a last-resort countermeasure. Alongside being <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/10/what-are-the-ukrainian-drone-interceptors-sent-to-counter-iranian-attacks">costly</a>, the destruction of drones introduces risks of falling debris and <a href="https://d-fendsolutions.com/blog/cots-drones-impact-and-drone-mitigation-techniques/">collateral damage</a> to people and property. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/us-military-used-laser-take-border-protection-drone-lawmakers-say-rcna260887">Reports</a> from February 2026 of the US military accidentally downing of a Customs and Border Protection drone with a high-energy laser in Texas illustrate such concerns. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, British forces deployed missile systems to <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/inside-the-base-where-raf-aces-are-shooting-down-iranian-drones-13538059">down over 100</a> Iranian-linked drones that were targeting a coalition base in Iraq earlier in 2026. US marines are also being trained to counter drones with <a href="https://dronefront.com/us-marines-drones-standard-weapons/">standard-issue weapons</a> including shotguns, while the US Army is looking to <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/industry/techwatch/2026/08/10/us-army-exploring-50mm-cannon-to-destroy-drones/">source a cannon</a> for counter-drone defence. </p>
<p>Alongside <a href="https://gizmodo.com/eagle-drones-tech-layoffs-1849759875">since retired experiments</a> with <a href="https://theconversation.com/ways-to-stop-a-rogue-drone-54296">birds of prey</a> trained to down drones, other kinetic approaches include the use of anti-drone nets and metal cages. Russian forces have added such measures to land vehicles and oil tankers as defensive layers <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f2f2a881-1d4d-47db-a7d9-c6c50ee29a6a?syn-25a6b1a6=1">designed to force</a> a detonation gap. Ukrainian soldiers have also adopted a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/29/europe/ukraines-fishing-nets-drones-russia-latam-intl">“low-tech defence against a high-tech”</a> problem by pole mounting fishing nets on roadsides in frontline towns.</p>
<figure> <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OXINzoWeLak?wmode=transparent&start=3" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <figcaption><span class="caption">How drones are being used to smuggle drugs, phones and weapons into prisons.</span></figcaption> </figure>
<p>Such efforts are not limited to the battlefield. In recognition of a drone’s ability to <a href="https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC132714">bypass traditional control points and secure areas</a>, the UK government has invested in physical countermeasures at prisons. </p>
<p>These include external netting and wires, and the reinforcing of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/35-million-government-funding-boost-to-stop-drones-smuggling-contraband-into-prisons">13,000 cell windows</a> with heavy-duty steel grilles at sites considered most vulnerable to drone incursions. But, while accompanied by wider <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/21/drones-to-be-banned-from-flying-near-prisons-in-england-and-wales">site-specific legislation</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/06/prison-drone-drug-deliveries-crumbling-victorian-walls">weak and crumbling walls</a> of some Victorian prisons have complicated installs.</p>
<p>There is no <a href="https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e05f89e1-6bc9-11ee-9220-01aa75ed71a1/language-en">magic bullet</a> drone counter-measure available. Rather, layered approaches – tailored to different sites and contexts – are required. As drones and the threats accompanying them develop, so too must <a href="https://ecfr.eu/publication/buzzkill-how-to-defend-europe-against-drones/">efforts to mount</a> an effective response.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/289841/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-jackman-226637">Anna Jackman</a>, Associate Professor in Human Geography, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-reading-902">University of Reading</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-drones-are-taken-down-from-nets-and-metal-cages-to-jammers-289841">original article</a>.</p> </div>