HOME ꄲ Radio Signal Detection ꄲ Drone-Mounted IMSI Catcher

Drone-Mounted IMSI Catcher

The drone-mounted IMSI Catcher is a cellular signal intelligence solution based on drone, being able to search and track cell phones as well as locate the targets by identifying their IMSI (Individual Mobile Subscriber Identity) number. The solution is applicable to government departments of emergency management, and law enforcement agencies such as police and border patrol.

ꄲNext: Handheld IMSI Catcher

Introduction

The drone-mounted IMSI Catcher is a cellular signal intelligence solution based on drone, being able to search and track cell phones as well as locate the targets by identifying their IMSI (Individual Mobile Subscriber Identity) number. IMSI is a unique ID number contained in a SIM card used to identify the user of a mobile phone network. The IMSI Catcher supports telecommunication standards of GSM (2G), UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G). The system’s small form factor makes it ideal for deployment on a drone/UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) for overhead collection missions in areas where the surveillance officer cannot gain access to. Mounted on DJI drone M300 RTK, the search radius can reach up to 15km. All logged data is tagged with GPS/BDS and date/time stamps as well as GPS/BDS latitude and longitude coordinates. Interrogation result logs with all observed values are remotely exfiltrated for post mission analysis.

Application Scenarios

Search and Rescue

Search and locate missing or buried persons (mobile phones) efficiently in a big area, for both visible and invisible targets. With searching result including the presence or absence, quantity and location of targets, reasonable decision could be made for effective and accurate rescue mission. The solution is applicable to government agencies of emergency management such as earthquake and fire fighting departments, for the scenarios of disaster evacuation, post-disaster assessment, missing person (mobile phone) emergency rescue, specific target search and positioning, etc.

Law Enforcement Surveillance

IMSI Catcher is a special surveillance equipment that can help law enforcement officers track cell phones and gather data. Officers can pinpoint a criminal’s exact location even if that person is not on their phone. The targeted cell phone simply needs to be on for an IMSI catcher to work. The solution is applicable to law enforcement agencies such as police and border patrol.