ArticlePublisher preview available

Analyzing the threat of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to nuclear facilities

February 2018
Security Journal 31(3)

DOI:10.1057/s41284-017-0102-5

Authors:

Alexander Solodov

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Adam D. Williams

Sandia National Laboratories

Braden Goddard

Virginia Commonwealth University

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are among the major growing technologies that have many beneficial applications, yet they can also pose a significant threat. Recently, several incidents occurred with UAVs violating privacy of the public and security of sensitive facilities, including several nuclear power plants in France. The threat of UAVs to the security of nuclear facilities is of great importance and is the focus of this work. This paper presents an overview of UAV technology and classification, as well as its applications and potential threats. We show several examples of recent security incidents involving UAVs in France, USA, and United Arab Emirates. Further, the potential threats to nuclear facilities and measures to prevent them are evaluated. The importance of measures for detection, delay, and response (neutralization) of UAVs at nuclear facilities are discussed. An overview of existing technologies along with their strength and weaknesses are shown. Finally, the results of a gap analysis in existing approaches and technologies is presented in the form of potential technological and procedural areas for research and development. Based on this analysis, directions for future work in the field can be devised and prioritized.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Analyzing the threat of unmanned aerial vehicles

(UAV) to nuclear facilities

Alexander Solodov

1,2

•Adam Williams

•

Sara Al Hanaei

•Braden Goddard

Published online: 18 April 2017

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2017

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are among the major growing tech-

nologies that have many beneﬁcial applications, yet they can also pose a signiﬁcant

threat. Recently, several incidents occurred with UAVs violating privacy of the

public and security of sensitive facilities, including several nuclear power plants in

France. The threat of UAVs to the security of nuclear facilities is of great impor-

tance and is the focus of this work. This paper presents an overview of UAV

technology and classiﬁcation, as well as its applications and potential threats. We

show several examples of recent security incidents involving UAVs in France, USA,

and United Arab Emirates. Further, the potential threats to nuclear facilities and

measures to prevent them are evaluated. The importance of measures for detection,

delay, and response (neutralization) of UAVs at nuclear facilities are discussed. An

overview of existing technologies along with their strength and weaknesses are

shown. Finally, the results of a gap analysis in existing approaches and technologies

is presented in the form of potential technological and procedural areas for research

and development. Based on this analysis, directions for future work in the ﬁeld can

be devised and prioritized.

SAND2017-4308J: Unclassiﬁed, unlimited release. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram

laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation,

for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-

AC04-94AL85000.

&Alexander Solodov

alexander.solodov@gmail.com

Department of Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII), Abu Dhabi, UAE

Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University,

Richmond, VA, USA

Secur J (2018) 31:305–324

https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-017-0102-5

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

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