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Israeli anti-drone company in spotlight after London airport rescue

After London’s Gatwick Airport was brought to its knees by rogue drones last week, Israeli companies like Skylock are emerging as the first line of defense to combat the new airborne threat.

By Associated Press and World Israel News Staff

An Israeli technology company says its anti-drone system is drawing major interest after rogue unmanned aircraft sowed chaos at London’s Gatwick Airport last week.

With more than 750 flights canceled, over 120,000 passengers impacted, and tens of millions of dollars in losses, the incident was deemed a major security breach, notwithstanding the lack of casualties or damage to property that ensued.

The Israeli company Skylock is working to combat threats like the one that caused the Gatwick shutdown. Skylock is among a growing industry specializing in detecting and downing intruder drones by “jamming” them, or disrupting their frequencies.

The company said Tuesday it saw a 40 percent spike in inquiries into its product since the Gatwick episode.

Product manager Asaf Lebovitz said the company, which emerged to target militant drone use in Syria, has shifted focus to commercial applications and has been approached by airports in North America and Europe.

Noam Milstein, drone operations chief for Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority, said such systems are “obviously becoming crucial to prevent drone incursions from those who don’t care about the regulations in place.”