The role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has evolved into the so-called dual use at an unprecedented scale. What was previously a clear distinction between civil and military applications has now become increasingly vague and unpredictable. This is particularly evident in the case of civil UAVs, more broadly known as drones, which pose emerging threats. To protect the assets and infrastructure of nations, we propose a Drone ID (DID) protocol that enables the unambiguous identification of a drone's origin and establishes a verifiable link to an on-the-ground authority.
Unmanned vessels at scale have emerged upon the battlefield of Ukraine. Today, the first signs indicate that this paradigm is expanding into new territories, testing the resilience of critical infrastructure against evolving threats. Developing an exhaustive response requires new conceptual approaches that can function in a decentralized manner. The need for decentralization becomes clear once one recognizes that no terrain of sufficient size can be adequately protected using existing or emerging technologies at an economically feasible scale. Thus, decentralization as a way to focus on critical "hot spots" in the field is a path forward. Naturally, physical decentralization does not preclude digital aggregation, especially when considering data flows. However, given the cross-sector need for these systems, achieving a unified framework at an adequate pace may prove challenging. Therefore, by also decentralizing digital systems, sectors can adapt independently and pursue convergence at a later stage.
A system addressing UAV-related threats must consist of several layers of protection, and the very first of these layers, right after sensing, is the demand for identification. While sensing can detect and classify, identification concerns establishing what exactly the object is. Hence, identification is an interactive process, enabling the establishment of trust between the observed vessel and the system that detected it. Furthermore, it allows for attribution to a concrete instance of a governance framework established on the ground. In other words, to unambiguously bind the vessel and its operator to a well-known jurisdiction capable of providing exhaustive information on both, when required.
This will allow easier adoption across industries and authorities.
Stronger guarantees than EU Regulation 2019/947 (link)
Our approach must go beyond the minimal requirements of the existing EU regulation. This ensures higher trust and better alignment with future security interests.
DID should not create excessive cost or complexity for civil users and operators. It becomes a mandatory step in onboarding operator and drone into regional airspace system.