S4 E2: How can we defend against drone attacks?

Austin Phoenix joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about unmanned aerial systems, commonly called drones, the challenges they present to the defense sector, and the work university researchers are doing to help better understand and mitigate any potential threats.“Curious Conversations” is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.1:32 — Drones in Defense5:22 — Autonomy and Emerging Risks7:12 — The Cost of Drone Defense9:15 — Counter-Drone Strategies12:59 — Inside the Counter-UAS Center17:48 — Testing Real-World Conditions19:19 — Students, Partners, and ImpactPhoenix is an associate research professor and the director of the Mission Systems Division at the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. He is also one of the leaders of the university’s new Counter-UAS Testing and Research Center, which is a partnership between Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, and the U.S. Army. His research interests include multifunctional structures, adaptive structures, advanced thermal management, structural dynamics, spacecraft design, and first-order analysis of complex systems. Curious Conversations is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations, as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures.