Aerial vehicles having countermeasures deployed from a platform for neutralizing target aerial vehicles

A system for detecting and neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

• a plurality of counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), each comprising a flight body and a flight control system that controls flight of the counter-attack UAV;
• an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure coupled to the plurality of counter-attack UAVs;
• an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle, and to provide command data to at least one counterattack UAV to facilitate interception of the target aerial vehicle by the plurality of counter-attack UAVs;
• wherein, upon interception of the target aerial vehicle, the plurality of counter-attack UAVs are operable in a coordinated manner to capture the detected target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure,
• wherein the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure comprises a transport position, the transport position comprising a low-drag transport position during flight of the plurality of counter-attack UAVs, and the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure is movable to a deployed capturing position via coordinated flight of the plurality of counter-attack UAVs relative to one another to capture the target aerial vehicle.

A method for aerial neutralization of a target aerial vehicle, comprising:

• detecting a target aerial vehicle;
• operating a plurality of counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UA Vs) to intercept the target aerial vehicle;
• capturing the target aerial vehicle with an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure coupled to the plurality of counter-attack UAVs;
• and
• operating the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure in a transport configuration, the transport position comprising a low-drag transport position during flight of the plurality of counter-attack UAVs, and operating the counter-attack UAVs to move relative to one another to move the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure to a deployed configuration to capture the target aerial vehicle.

A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more computer software modules configured to direct one or more processors to:

• receive data generated by one or more detection sensors, the data associated with a target aerial vehicle;
• determine a position of the target aerial vehicle based on the received data;
• and
• communicate command data associated with the determined position to a plurality of counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
• wherein the command data comprises instructions for the counter-attack UAVs to fly in a swarm to transport an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure in a transport configuration to the determined position, the transport position comprising a low-drag transport position, and to move the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure to a deployed position via coordinated flight of the counter attack UAVs relative to one another to capture the target aerial vehicle.