The Dutch National Police Corps and Dutch firm Guard from Above (GFA) are now training eagles to take down drones that enter restricted airspace, Try Modern reports.
Drones are becoming a growing annoyance, with the flying device being accessible to everyone, resulting in more careless drone owners. Drones can also potentially fall into the wrong hands, particularly spies and terrorists.
With the growing threat of drones being used for terrorism, police agencies around the world have tried numerous methods to resolve this issue. Dutch police, however, have introduced the idea of using eagles to take down drones, pitting nature against machines.
The GFA and the Dutch National Police have turned an unused military airfield, Valkenburg Naval Air Base, into an eagle training facility, where the birds are being trained to combat the drones, The New York Times stated.
The Detective Chief Superintendent of the Dutch police, Mark Weibes, commented that the tests are "very promising" and the eagles are most likely going to be utilized by the police in the Netherlands, subject to a final assessment. Meanwhile, in the UK, London's Metropolitan Police Service is also interested in employing the trained birds.
The birds of prey are most likely the safest choice when it comes to catching and destroying drones. Eagles can swoop down on the machine and bring it safely to the ground, rather than letting it crash on its own, which poses a huge risk for the people below.
"We have seen a number of incidents around airfields, and, in the end, we want to be prepared should anyone want to use a drone for an attack of some sort," Wiebes said.
The project is a brainchild of security consultant, Sjoerd Hoogendoorn, who thought of the idea while researching about drone threats in his home. The consultant then reached out to experienced bird handler Ben de Keijzer. The two formed GFA and pitched their idea to the Dutch police in 2014.
Hoogendoorn said that the project was considered by the force because of its potential to use "a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem." "Mostly, the most crazy ideas work the best." Hoogendoorn quipped.
The consultant also states that the safety of the eagles are considered as a top priority, adding that the team is working on a glove-like sheath protection for the eagles' talons.
