Amidst the rising drone threats that loom over the modern battlefield, the U.S. Army and Air Force have unveiled a powerful ally—CARPE Dronvm.

A groundbreaking smartphone app-controlled counter-drone solution, CARPE Dronvm transforms soldiers into first-line defenders, equipping them with the means to swiftly report and thwart aerial threats. With its intuitive interface and real-time alerts, this cutting-edge application promises to revolutionize force protection and safeguard those on the frontline from the ever-evolving drone peril.

Both the Army and Air Force recently conducted trials of a smartphone app-controlled counter-drone solution at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina. Leveraging crowd-sourced data, CARPE Dronvm empowers users to report suspicious drone activities, enabling timely responses from authorities and command centers. Developed in collaboration with the MITRE Corporation, this cutting-edge application stands poised to enhance the detection capabilities of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in the face of rapidly evolving aerial threats.

CARPE Dronvm: Empowering Soldiers on the Ground

At the heart of CARPE Dronvm lies a potent concept: empowering soldiers on the ground to actively engage in force protection.

The app’s user-friendly interface ensures that anyone with a smartphone can easily and quickly report drone sightings, streamlining the dissemination of crucial information to the appropriate authorities, such as command centers. These images are then swiftly processed by a computer-vision machine learning algorithm, accurately determining the presence and location of the drone. If a drone is detected, the information is instantly relayed to a command center, which generates its location on a situational awareness map. Additionally, nearby CARPE Dronvm users receive real-time alerts, ensuring that potential threats are swiftly identified and addressed. Not limited to military applications, this innovative solution from MITRE is designed to be accessible and usable worldwide, making it ideal for safeguarding vulnerable areas, soft targets, and crowded venues.

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CARPE Dronvm Application Field Trial (Image source: DVIDS)

Meanwhile, raising concerns on security challenges to potential infiltration or misuse of the application, its developers and the relevant authorities involved in deploying CARPE Dronvm would implement robust cybersecurity measures. This includes encryption of data transmission to protect sensitive information and implementing user authentication protocols to prevent unauthorized access. Moreover, constant monitoring, regular software updates, and proactive vulnerability assessments would be essential components of the system’s maintenance. By fostering a culture of security and vigilance, the user community can collectively contribute to maintaining the application’s effectiveness while safeguarding against potential threats of infiltration or misuse.

Successful Trials Beyond Expectations

During the recent trial at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, CARPE Dronvm demonstrated its effectiveness at the soldier level, covering a 50-kilometer area with multiple users, exceeding expectations. It proved its functionality and simplicity of use. The results were impressive, as the app’s drone detection abilities proved highly effective. U.S. Army Task Force 39 Operations Officer, Maj. Travis Valley lauded the potential of CARPE Dronvm as a force protection multiplier, providing an additional tool to safeguard soldiers in a deployed environment.

“Carpe Dronvm has the potential to provide real time, crowd-sourced data about small, unmanned aerial systems to military decisions makers around the globe,” Valley said, adding that the use of the counter-drone app “can increase our detection capabilities and our ability to protect service members on the future battlefield.”