Gatwick airport uses military tracker made by Chess Dynamics to beat drone menace

Radar, radio frequency and optical detection systems have been installed at Gatwick to thwart malicious drone attacks.

After 1,000 flights were grounded owing to the illegal operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) last December, the airport spent more than £1 million on a military-grade system to intercept rogue operators.

The Auds anti-UAV system, made by Chess Dynamics, has been named by The Times previously but its methods and functions have not been revealed until today. The manufacturers’ key promise is that the system can help track down the operator of a drone.