[devttyeu]

Put sensitive electronics in a metal box, comms over a fiber (already common), and you’re good to go.

Only tricky thing is if currents induced in motors are too hard to reject in driver circuitry, tho even at the extreme this should be possible to insulate with capacitors (or worse/heavier with transformers)

[Animats]

The motor drive side probably isn't that vulnerable, since that's the output side of large power transistors, but the Hall-effect sensors and current sensing in brushless DC motors might be a problem. But you don't have to use brushless motors. They last longer, but drones are ammo, not assets, today.

[varjag]

Sounds like a great plan if you don't need a camera, positioning and magnetic compass. You also want your cage grounded or very thick, otherwise with sufficiently strong field it will become preemable.

[KK7NIL]

A compass is not blocked by a Faraday cage as low frequency magnetic fields still get through.

[pulse7]

You can put camera in transparent Faraday cage. With camera and gyro one can do basic positioning...

[topspin]

> Only tricky thing is if currents induced in motors

Many of the drones in the Russia-Ukraine war are powered by ICEs. I'm thinking of Ukraine's long range drones presently deleting Russia's refinery distillation towers, fixed radar installations, parked aircraft, ammo dumps, etc.

Those engines are not purely mechanical, but purely mechanical engines have been widespread and are still commonplace today. A 2-stroke diesel being one example, but even gas turbines can be purely mechanical. So one can imagine such an adaptation in response to microwave countermeasures.

[cyberax]

Or you can put motors inside the cage, with purely mechanical linkage to the propellers.

[varjag]

You'd have to make sure the linkages are not conductive and there is not even a 1mm clearance on their ports in the enclosure. Non-metal axles are possible but it's hard to find material that would withstand the torque.

You also need to think through your cooling solution. Enclosed batteries, converters and motors will generate a lot of heat over typical mission, and you don't have the benefit of direct air cooling anymore.