Airports and other Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) are high profile targets for known groups and others looking to inflict maximum damage or disruption, or to achieve media coverage. The reasons for this are clear, particularly in the case of airports. Firstly, airports attract a high concentration of people, so there is potential for huge loss of life from a single malicious incident, whether perpetrated by a terrorist group or a ‘lone wolf’ actor. Secondly, airports are vital to the economy; operations are relatively easy to disrupt with a small threat, and significant impact can result from even the shortest period of closure. What is true for airports is equally true for other CNI sites: ports, railways, energy infrastructure and major industrial sites.
A changing world
In 2016, the World Economic Forum published an in-depth article* on the threats to aviation security and how they might evolve. Studying that analysis today in 2025, two key points stand out:
“Technology is rapidly democratizing the ability to inflict large-scale damage. Attacks that would once have been within the purview of only a few major states are becoming conceivable for a much wider range of non-state actors and individuals.”
“As civilian aviation is so critical to the smooth functioning of economies—and as aviation-related incidents have such an impact on the media, especially with new technologies enabling the rapid spread of information and misinformation—it is likely to remain an enticing target for attackers who want to cause maximum disruption.”
An evolving threat landscape
More recently, in an introduction to its June 2025 ‘Securing airports in an evolving threat landscape’ eReport*, International Airport Review made very similar points:
“The threat to aviation is metastasising.”
“It is clear that we are in an era of new geopolitical unrest, rapid technological advancement and unrelenting cyber threats.”
“It is imperative that airports keep innovating to stay ahead of these security threats and anticipate the next hazard.”
Also in June 2025, in America, Executive Order “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty” clearly stated the urgency of the UAS challenge: “…criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors have intensified their weaponization of these technologies, creating new and serious threats to our homeland. Critical infrastructure, including military bases, is subject to frequent — and often unidentified — UAS incursions. Immediate action is needed to ensure American sovereignty over its skies and that its airspace remains safe and secure.”
The UAS threat to airports and CNI
Airports face a wide range of threats to people, aircraft, airspace and flightpaths, and to critical infrastructure such as runways, power supplies, fuel farms, radars and navigation aids for example.
Key amongst these threats are weapons and UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) that can be sited or operated from outside of the airport or the CNI perimeter.
As we have seen from in the war between Russia and Ukraine, drones have rapidly become a lethal weapon class. That 2016 statement by the World Economic Forum about “Technology is rapidly democratizing the ability to inflict large-scale damage” sounds even more chilling in 2025.
We should remember, also, that even ‘amateur’ drones costing £50 or less, have the ability to cause major disruption to airport operations, irrespective of whether the drone is being used maliciously or just by an inexperienced or unthinking owner. What’s more, there is the likelihood that ‘benign’ incursions may mask more concerning events.
The prerequisite for an effective defensive shield
Of course, detection systems and a range of soft- and hard-kill countermeasures are available to build a defensive shield. But such systems and countermeasures need to be supported by effective planning—a critical part of a comprehensive response to the UAS threat to airports (or any such site or target).
UAS threat planning and analysis:
- Allows prioritisation of the response
- Provides a basis for pre-emptive deterrence measures such as patrols, CCTV, signage and community engagement
- Allows active countermeasures to be sited for optimal coverage against the anticipated UAS threat.
CTS-PRAS enables all of the above, providing a fast and efficient method of mapping and mitigating UAS risk, while also assisting the capture of active UAS operators.
The MANPADS threat to airports and CNI
Similar to drones in terms of their prevalence, MANPADS or MPADS (Man-Portable Air Defence Systems) have been produced in large numbers for many years. They are widely distributed around the globe, with a significant number known to be held by hostile regimes and terrorist groups.
MANPADS pose a very real threat to civil aircraft operating in the vicinity of airports. Whilst preventing the transport of MANPADS into the country is the first line of defence, deterrence and denial in the airport region is extremely important.
Again, planning is vital, as the MANPADS threat can extend over a significant area around an airport. CTS-PRAS enables informed assessment of priority locations and shared situational awareness for preventative operations.
Firearms, IEDs and other threats to airports and CNI
We’ll be covering firearms operations in detail in a forthcoming article on CTS-PRAS use cases. However, it’s worth mentioning here that the CTS-PRAS software also enables planning, threat analysis and risk mitigation for:
- A wide range of stand-off weapons, such as rockets, missiles, mortars and small arms
- IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices)
- Perimeter incursions and other threats.
Airport and CNI security’s own secret weapon
In summary, CTS-PRAS software from Cunning Running is airport and CNI security’s own secret weapon in the planning, analysis and mitigation of a wide range of threats that are capable of disabling airport or CNI operations or of causing catastrophic harm.
As we said in the introduction to this series of CT-PRAS articles, CTS-PRAS is advanced software that is “more than just CT”.
In aviation and CNI security, CTS-PRAS provides rapid, accurate and objective assessment of complex threats. This allows informed judgements to be made about the protective measures needed.
Also, by ranking potential threat locations, it enables effective use of available resources, and the scaling of activities in response to changing threat intelligence.
See it for yourself—arrange a demo now
Those making critical strategic and tactical decisions on airport and other CNI security issues need to see for themselves how this advanced technology can be used to mitigate risk to the public, staff, infrastructure and operations.
To arrange a CTS-PRAS demo call Cunning Running on +44 (0)1794 834750 or email enquiries@cunningrunning.co.uk
Stay in touch by following the Cunning Running company page on LinkedIn, or the LinkedIn pages of John Overend or Phil Cowell.
*World Economic Forum. ‘Four threats to aviation security – and four responses, industries in-depth article July 2016: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/07/four-threats-to-aviation-security-and-four-responses/
**International Airport Review, ‘Securing airports in an evolving threat landscape: eReport’ June 2025: https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/283659/securing-airports-in-an-evolving-threat-landscape-ereport/
Further reading:
Sadly, there’s never been a greater need for CTS-PRAS…
An introduction to CTS-PRAS software and its use in Counter Terrorism.
CTS-PRAS: the integrated Counter Terrorism planning and analysis software with use cases far beyond CT
A general introduction to the CTS-PRAS software’s applicability for other uses cases such as airport and CNI protection, major events protection, search operations and firearms operations
