D-Fend Solutions has announced that the University of Alabama has selected and adopted D-Fend as a counter-drone technology supplier. Deploying EnforceAir, the University has established a pioneer model for higher education airspace security, protecting campus operations, critical infrastructure, and major public events.
“D-Fend and EnforceAir have been game changers for us,” said Michael Kelley, Director of Security Technologies at the University of Alabama. “Our situational awareness has expanded dramatically. Not only do we know what is in the airspace around our campus, but we have the ability to mitigate if necessary.”
Following a comprehensive evaluation of leading technologies, including season-long live performance trials against other systems, the University selected EnforceAir for its unique technical capability to support controlled mitigation, an option to be utilized by authorized, trained personnel in accordance with evolving regulatory frameworks, without the risks associated with kinetic measures or jamming, which can cause collateral damage or disrupt campus communications.
Key operational points from the University’s deployment include:
- Scale of the Threat: During one evaluation period, the system identified well over a thousand drones operating in the vicinity, underscoring the massive scale of UAS activity over collegiate environments.
- Exceptional Coverage: From an elevated position, a single EnforceAir unit provided extensive, long-range detection notifications covering the campus and surrounding approaches.
- Strategic Integration: The University integrates EnforceAir into its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), utilizing a Unified Command Framework to collaborate with local, state, and federal partners during major events.
- Thorough Evaluation: The University selected EnforceAir after a rigorous process that included reviewing leading systems, ultimately choosing D-Fend for its intuitive interface and effective, safe, and non-disruptive mitigation technical capability.
The University recognized that unauthorized drones present risks ranging from accidental collisions and falling debris to the disruption of high-level research and athletic events. “Higher education institutions face unique challenges: open environments, major public events, critical research, and evolving regulatory frameworks,” said Zohar Halachmi, CEO and Chairman of D-Fend Solutions. “EnforceAir enables proactive, non-disruptive control that aligns with both safety and operational continuity.”
Michael Kelley added, “We are initiative-taking, not reactionary. We have to plan for the future, and D-Fend’s technology allows us to do exactly that.”
