![\"Arms](\"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/srs_drone_photo_0-1.jpg\")
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Arms manufacturers are rushing to develop missile systems to take down drones. (NASA)<\/p>\n
Arms makers are targeting the growing menace of drones at airports and on battlefields with a rush to develop new missile systems, radar jammers and laser cannons.<\/p>\n
U.S. forces, along with Middle East allies and Russian troops, have been forced to confront<\/a> hostile drone operations. Commercial flights at some of the world\u2019s busiest hubs\u2014in New York, London and Dubai\u2014have been grounded<\/a> in recent months amid concerns that nearby drones could endanger airliners.<\/p>\n The rising number of incidents has put the threat in the public eye and propelled interest in anti-drone technology. Defense industry officials say armed forces still account for most spending.<\/p>\n TRISTAN <\/strong><\/a>O'TIERNEY<\/strong><\/a>, CO-FOUNDER OF SQUARE, DEAD AT 35<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The anti-drone market should exceed $1.2 billion in annual sales next year and top $1.5 billion in 2021, Frost & Sullivan estimated. While that is a fraction of the spending each year on combat aircraft, the fast-growing category could become a lucrative new revenue stream for weapons makers.<\/p>\n Drones are \u201cstarting to become a really big problem,\u201d said Hakan Buskhe, chief executive of Swedish defense company Saab AB. Anti-drone equipment \u201cis something we are in discussion on with many countries and authorities around the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n For airports, the principal way to counter drones is to disrupt their radio and navigation links. Industry executives say few tech suppliers have invested in the technology so far, although London Gatwick airport has said it has bought unspecified military-grade counter-drone equipment. Gatwick endured three days of disruption in December because of malicious drone use, during which police were cleared to shoot down the drone. The opportunity never arose.<\/p>\n