Israeli Anti-drone Maker Claims To Get Rid Of Drone Threat During Pope Francis Mass With Congregation In Slovakia

Pope Francis while in Slovakia. (Source: Vatican Media via slmedia.org)

JAKARTA - Israeli anti-drone technology company repelled rogue drones that interfered with a mass held by Pope Francis with 60.000 worshipers in Slovakia, The Jerusalem Post can exclusively report.

The highly sensitive incident, managed and resolved by Israeli anti-drone company D-Fend, occurred on September 15, but the terms of restricting information due to sensitivity have only been made public now.

D-Fend said it was working with the Slovak Interior Ministry to protect the pope, his retinue, and attendees from the threat of malicious drones at events in Slovakia from September 12-15, culminating in an open Mass at aštín, home to the National Marian Shrine. Participating in the activity 90 bishops and 500 priests.

The EnforceAir product developed by D-Fend is deployed with a tactical kit at ground level to provide 360-degree coverage.

In addition to the overflowing crowds, there are several counter-drone security challenges, including multiple antennas and communication systems in the area, with its high radio frequency interference environment, D-Fend said, citing The Jerusalem Post December 13.

D-Fend said several drones were identified near the event, but local police immediately identified them as authorized and 'friendly'.

EnforceAir technology recognizes and allows authorized drones to operate in airspace, focusing its defense capabilities on reducing rogue drones.

A moment later, a previously unseen do-it-yourself drone was detected by EnforceAir during mass. Initially, when the police decided to reduce the potential threat, they considered using a jammer-based solution.

However, they quickly changed their approach, realizing such jammers could potentially interfere with communication systems operating in the area. They are also concerned about stopping media transmissions surrounding Pope Francis' speech during mass, as well as disrupting security base stations, which could create a separate security risk.

"EnforceAir repelled the rogue drone, sending it back to its original takeoff position, away from the large crowd," said D-Fend.

"Protecting such a well-known event is of utmost importance, so we wanted to make use of the counter-drone technology that is best suited for crowded events and sensitive situations," said a representative from the office in charge of Pope Francis' protection during his visit in Slovakia.

"EnforceAir's innovative solutions control rogue drones that threaten the potential safety of the Pope, crowds, and VIPs in attendance, quickly and easily," the company continued.

Meanwhile, D-Fend Chairman and CEO Zohar Halachmi said, "It is an honor to be trusted to look after such an important event and to assist our homeland security and law enforcement customers. The best practices we learned from having clients use our technology, to protect VIPs at major events around the world have been added to EnforceAir."

The company said, "The incident reflects the increasing danger posed by drones to officials around the world and to major events. The incident ended safely due to the counter-drone technology deployed by D-Fend at the scene. The G7 Summit also made use of D technology. -Fend to protect world leaders this summer."

According to D-Fend, "Drones pose an increasing threat to national security around the world – to critical infrastructure, to civilians, and now to leaders."

Anti-drone companies noted recent attempts to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, also using drones.