Drone defense at the WEF
The 47th World Economic Forum WEF in Davos is history. Nothing was left to chance in the security arrangements. A drone defense system was also deployed.
After the "year of terror" 2016, this year's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos are taking the highest security precautions. The police presence has been increased again compared to the WEF 2016. Not only the Graubünden cantonal police, but also police forces from all over Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein as well as almost 5,000 members of the army were deployed. Not only militia members of the army, but also professional soldiers were on site, responsible for personal protection and access control. Outside Davos, the Armed Forces protected infrastructure facilities and provided logistical and command support services, according to the VBS. "The WEF mission is part of the tasks of our Armed Forces," said Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin in an interview on the DDPS website. He added: "Yes, in the event of a concrete threat and as a last resort, I am tasked as defense minister with authorizing a pilot to open fire against an enemy aircraft."
Anti-drone technology: real-time surveillance
Increasingly, the organizers of important events have to arm themselves against unmanned aerial vehicles. This was also the case during the WEF. With the so-called "DroneTracker", an anti-drone technology, the Cantonal Police of the Grisons also monitored the critical areas of the airspace in Davos in real time, as the drone defense specialized Dedrone writes. "The company's technology was available for defense purposes and could have been used to stop drones while they were still approaching," the anti-drone specialist says.
Infringements in the airspace
The Armed Forces have successfully completed the subsidiary security mission around the WEF in Davos, as the DDPS writes in its final report. There were neither serious incidents nor accidents. In total, the DDPS recorded three violations of regulations in restricted airspace in Switzerland. The DDPS did not want to disclose what exactly was involved. Austria also made a valuable contribution to the security measures around the WEF, as Guy Parmelin's department also wrote. The Austrian Air Force registered five violations of regulations in restricted airspace over its territory.
