Why passive protection
Why passive drone defense matters
A protection plan has to address the drone and the asset beneath it. Netting and screens add physical coverage around the places, equipment, and routes that need to keep working.
Protection at the asset
Passive drone defense uses physical measures to reduce an asset’s exposure. A fixed net or screen forms an obstacle without a sensor trigger or radio transmission.
Detection identifies a threat. Active measures act on it. Physical protection addresses the asset itself, adding an obstacle between an approaching drone and a defined area. A 2024 UK defense research funding call set out this complementary role when outer defenses are absent or penetrated. [1]
Independent of the control link
Fiber-optic drones carry command and video over a cable rather than a radio control link. A physical barrier does not depend on disrupting that signal. Its protective value still depends on the threat, coverage, installation, and condition of the system. [2]
Protection beyond the roadway
Public records identify netting projects for medical facilities, essential equipment, and logistics routes.
Installation underway
Medical facilities
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
The regional government reported anti-drone netting being installed at medical facilities in July 2026. Work was still underway at the report date.
Zaporizhzhia regional government · July 2026 (opens in a new tab)Procurement notice
Generators and utilities
Municipal hospital, Ukraine
A public hospital sought net protection for generators and other utility equipment in August 2026. The notice identifies a requirement; it does not confirm a completed installation.
Public hospital procurement · August 2026 (opens in a new tab)Reported installation
Roads and logistics
Ukraine
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry reported more than 534 km of anti-drone road protection installed by the State Special Transport Service during 2025.
Ukraine Ministry of Defence · January 2026 (opens in a new tab)These are other organizations’ projects. Reported use and procurement show real applications; they do not establish the performance of a Veil system.
How the layers work together
Detection, active countermeasures, physical coverage, and site procedures serve different purposes. UK counter-drone guidance includes physical security within a combination of complementary measures. [3]
- Detection & assessment
- Identify and assess drone activity so the site can make an informed response.
- Active measures
- Disrupt or intercept the drone, using measures appropriate to the threat and operating environment.
- Physical protection
- Place netting, screening, or other physical barriers around selected assets and areas.Veil’s focus
- Site procedures
- Plan access, staff actions, incident response, and the safe continuation of operations.
The roles overlap. Their combination depends on the site, the threat, and the measures available.
Compare counter-drone approachesKeep the site usable
Equipment needs servicing, people need access, and roads need to stay usable. Coverage and everyday operations need to be designed together.
- Coverage
- Define the asset, the area to be covered, and the openings the operation requires.
- Access
- Plan for staff, deliveries, maintenance, emergency access, and equipment replacement.
- Operating clearances
- Account for ventilation, visibility, vehicle movement, and the equipment’s service space.
- Inspection & repair
- Include condition checks, repair access, and a plan to restore coverage after damage.
Veil’s development focus
Veil develops standard and custom drone-netting layouts for facilities, exposed equipment, and routes. We define requirements, coordinate fabrication, and plan installation around the project.
We are currently testing our cope-cage prototype, an alternative to conventional metal-lattice cages. Improved blast absorption and occupant protection are development objectives.
Veil Systems are in the test phase, and we are currently testing out our systems. No validated protective performance is claimed.
Sources & further reading
Public guidance and reports reviewed October 2026. Source references describe the category and other organizations’ work; no endorsement of Veil is implied.
- Protecting Physical Assets from UAS Attack: Competition Document (opens in a new tab)
UK Defence and Security Accelerator · April–May 2024
- Fiber Optic Drones: Posing a Significant C-UAS Challenge (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Army · Center for Army Lessons Learned · August 2025
- Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy · Layered, complementary defences (opens in a new tab)
UK Government · October 2019
- Anti-drone netting at medical facilities (opens in a new tab)
Zaporizhzhia regional government · July 2026
- Net protection for generators and utility equipment (opens in a new tab)
City Hospital No. 8 · Public procurement record · August 2026
- State Special Transport Service anti-drone protection installed in 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Ukraine Ministry of Defence · January 2026
- Countering drone threats to shipping · Vessel target hardening (opens in a new tab)
UK Department for Transport · May 2024