Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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30 Jan 20. French SOF eyes new night vision capabilities. The French Special Operations Command (COS) is seeking to enhance its night vision capabilities for small teams operating in West Africa, officials have disclosed. A pair of representatives from the COS said there is an urgent operational requirement for Africa’s Sahel region, where French special operations forces (SOF) are conducting direct action, special reconnaissance, and military assistance operations targeting violent extremist organisations.
Addressing delegates at the OPTRO conference in Paris on 28 January, an operator from the French Air Force’s CPA 10 special mission unit (who spoke anonymously owing to operational security concerns) said COS personnel relied upon image intensified (I2) binocular night vision goggles (NVGs) during ground assaults in which enemy combatants must be detected at short and long range. (Source: Jane’s)
29 Jan 20. CONTROP Precision Technologies Ltd. – a company specializing in the field of electro-optics and IR defense and homeland security solutions – will showcase the new STAMP payloads for future tactical mission requirements, including the T-STAMP-XD for laser-designation missions, and the STAMP-VMD for wide-area persistent surveillance. The lightweight, ruggedized gyro-stabilized miniature STAMP payloads have been operationally proven in the most challenging security and defense programs worldwide.
The third STAMP product being featured by CONTROP at the Singapore Airshow 2020 is the MD-STAMP; the newly-released laser-designator capability for small UAVs and drones, which is the latest product in the STAMP family of miniature payloads. Weighing less than 1kg, this compact laser-designation surveillance and targeting system closes the sensor-to-shooter cycle for tactical missions, while supporting ammunitions with laser humming seekers. The MD-STAMP has been designed for use on drones and on small Group 1 UAVs, and is a miniature version of the T-STAMP-XD, which is a 5.7kg laser-designator system for Group 2 UAVs. Both systems have a day channel as well as an IR camera with a continuous zoom lens for night missions. Using the integrated equipment and firepower, these systems enable tactical forces to close the fire loop.
CONTROP’s STAMP-VMD is a wide-area persistent surveillance system that provides real-time monitoring of areas spanning up to 1km2, at high resolution. Designed for installation on Group 1 UAVs and drones, this compact payload weighs only 1.3kg and can fly under the cloud ceiling at 1,500 ft. Fitted with an advanced multi-megapixel day camera, it also features automatic movement detection and tracking capabilities, enabling simultaneous monitoring of multiple targets. Equipped with a new, unique integrated sensor data processer, the STAMP-VMD performs onboard image processing, with the onboard detection algorithms enabling use of a standard datalink and minimal bandwidth to send optimized images to the ground station.
Whilst both the T-STAMP-XD and the STAMP-VMD may be used as standalone solutions, when combined they offer a comprehensive, integrated solution for laser-guided munitions, facilitating better decision making, more efficient battle management and accurate assessment of mission success.
“In highlighting these three new STAMP products at the Singapore Airshow 2020, we continue to show our commitment to our customers in Southeast Asia to providing the most advanced solutions to this important region,” says Mr. Johnny Carni, CONTROP’s VP Marketing Southeast Asia & Pacific. “The STAMP payloads have been supplied to many UAV and drone manufacturers worldwide, enabling them to provide their customers with the best and most cost-effective EO/IR capabilities. CONTROP recently secured a significant repeat order from a satisfied customer in this market, again confirming for us that we are successfully answering the specific requirements of customers in this region.”
27 Jan 20. Telephonics Conducts Flight Test of its MOSAIC AESA Radar System on US Navy MH-60S Seahawk Multi-Mission Helicopter. Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF), announced today that it has successfully demonstrated its MOSAIC® Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system aboard a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, accumulating over 10 hours of operational time during a two-week period in November. The flight demonstrations, which took place over the Mid-Atlantic region, showcased for the first time the system’s discriminating capabilities including Autonomous Anti-Surface Warfare radar operations and true dual beam technology.
Known as a global leader in the design and development of maritime surveillance radar systems, Telephonics dual beam technology, utilizing two independent beams from a single radar aperture, allows MOSAIC to perform continuous autonomously scheduled Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging while simultaneously conducting surveillance, detection and tracking operations. This drastically reduces the time needed to complete recognized maritime picture operations. The saved ISAR images are associated with track parametric data recallable for review, which reduces operator workload.
“This new generation AESA radar has the potential to provide great benefit to the future vertical lift platform,” said Capt. Todd Evans, H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopters (PMA-299) program manager.
Kevin McSweeney, President, Telephonics Corporation added, “We are excited to introduce our MOSAIC AESA system to the marketplace. We are known as an innovator in design and development of maritime surveillance systems, and with the numerous advanced modes developed exclusively for this radar we believe we have a solution that exceeds current AESA capabilities.” (Source: ASD Network)
28 Jan 20. Germany walks away from $2.5bn purchase of US Navy’s Triton spy drones. The German government has canceled plans to buy Northrop Grumman-made Triton drones to the tune of $2.5bn, opting instead for manned planes carrying eavesdropping sensors. The decision to buy Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft comes after officials became convinced that the Global Hawk derivatives would be unable to meet the safety standards needed for flying through European airspace by 2025, a target date for Berlin’s NATO obligations.
A defense ministry spokeswoman told Defense News the Triton option had grown “significantly more expensive” compared with earlier planning assumptions.
The U.S. State Department in April 2018 cleared Germany’s request to purchase four MQ-4C Triton drones for signals intelligence missions under the country’s PEGASUS program, short for “Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System.” The program includes a sensor, dubbed “ISIS-ZB” and made by Hensoldt, for intercepting communications and locating targets by their electromagnetic signature.
The German Defence Ministry for years had been banking on the Triton purchase to come with a pre-installed safety-technology package that would be easily approved by European air traffic authorities. But officials saw their hopes dashed as Italy recently issued a military-type certificate for a sister drone — NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance fleet of Global Hawks, stationed in Sigonella, Sicily — that prescribes tight restrictions on flights over the continent.
Manned aircraft like the envisioned Global 6000 are allowed to routinely fly alongside civilian traffic, a prospect that the Germans see as more palatable than dealing with drone-specific airspace corridors.
Berlin hopes to catch the tail end of Bombardier’s Global 6000 manufacturing run, as the model is being phased out in favor of an upgrade. While that strategy could yield a better price, Berlin needs to move soon before the production line goes cold, according to officials.
Letting drones fly in the same airspace as civilian traffic remains an unresolved problem, as the requisite sensing technology and the regulatory framework are still emerging. Germany previously tried filling its signals-intelligence gap with the Euro Hawk, but the project tanked in 2013 after spending $700m because officials underestimated the trickiness of attaining airworthiness qualification.
With the Triton gone, Germany’s next ambition for a fully approved unmanned aircraft lies with the so-called Eurodrone, a cooperation with France. Officials have said that the program is designed from the start with manned-unmanned airspace integration in mind. (Source: Defense News)
28 Jan 20. FLYMOTION Helps Law Enforcement Leverage UAS for Situational Awareness. FLYMOTION, of Tampa, Florida, specializes in providing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), mobile drone command centers, communications technology, monitoring solutions, training and 24/7 support to clients in public safety, government, defense and other sectors.
“We have provided drone systems to hundreds of agencies since opening our doors in 2014,” said FLYMOTION CEO and Co-Founder Ryan English. “We offer everything that our clients need, including the guidance to set up their own in-house drone programs and help in getting the necessary FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] licenses and operator know-how to run drone programs properly. And because drones cost so much less to buy and operate than human-operated aircraft, aerial situational awareness is now an affordable option for all sizes of police and fire/EMS departments.”
In 2018, the New York Police Department (NYPD) selected FLYMOTION to supply their new fleet of 14 drones, drone support equipment and training.
“As the largest municipal police department in the United States, the NYPD must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology,” NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said in a news release. “Our new UAS program is part of this evolution — it enables our highly-trained cops to be even more responsive to the people we serve and to carry out the NYPD’s critical work in ways that are more effective, efficient, and safe for everyone.”
A Range of Sensor Options
When most people think of drones, they think of small, remotely controlled flying platforms carrying cameras that transmit digital photos and HD video to a monitor on the ground. FLYMOTION’s basic stable of drone options — ranging from a palm-sized DJI Mavic Mini to heavy-lifting drones — provides first responders with these kinds of real-time visuals.
But that’s only the beginning; FLYMOTION drones can also be equipped with infrared cameras for night-time surveillance and multigas detectors that can identify and monitor hazardous chemicals from a safe distance. Like HD video, this data can be streamed from the drone to first responders in the immediate area via mobile cellular networks to act upon the data in real-time.
“There are so many public safety missions that can be supported using our drones, including search and rescue, mass casualty events, fire scene monitoring and HAZMAT management,” said English. “Our portfolio of sensors allows first responders to assess CBRNE [chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive] threat situations at a safe distance, minimizing the risk to everyone.”
Drone Command Solutions
Having someone in a remote area fly a drone and try to stream its video when local mobile cellular coverage is at one bar or less is a primitive approach to establishing public safety situational awareness. This is why FLYMOTION has developed a series of mobile and vehicular solutions that allow multiple drone operators to deploy to a specific location, launch and control their drones from a single sheltered area, and stream their videos and sensor data back to an incident commander using signal-boosting mobile antenna arrays.
The FLYMOTION MAVERICK is a mobile drone command center built into a Chevrolet Tahoe that can be deployed anywhere on a moment’s notice. MAVERICK comes with the equipment to fly, monitor and transmit video streams from multiple drones via mobile cellular and satellite. The FLYMOTION TRIDENT offers these capabilities in a larger, multiperson Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van chassis.
For smaller departments, the FLYMOTION Mission Case LTE creates a mobile hotspot that can connect up to 128 simultaneous devices (including AT&T FirstNet devices) to a single enhanced wireless network connection. “We have equipped this unit with multiple mobile antennas that amplify the signals they send to 4G/LTE network towers,” said English. “This ensures that first responders working in remote areas with very weak mobile coverage can count on reliable connections.”
Partnering With Samsung
When it comes to selecting ruggedized smartphones and tablets to serve as mobile network connectors and drone control touchscreens, FLYMOTION chooses Samsung.
“Samsung builds great ruggedized products that meet the needs of our most exacting public safety and military clients,” said English. “Once we tested out their high-performance devices protected in extreme use cases, we found that Samsung mobile devices were a natural fit for our drone control platforms and mobile command centers.”
FLYMOTION is working on integrating Samsung DeX into their portfolio to expand the partnership with Samsung. DeX enables users to set up an in-vehicle computing system leveraging Galaxy smartphones and tablets to provide a full desktop experience. All a user has to do is dock their compatible mobile device into the in-vehicle DeX setup with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and they now have a powerful desktop computer at their fingertips.
“Samsung smartphones and tablets are durable, reliable and trusted by our public safety and military clients, who have very high standards for all-conditions toughness,” English said. “They are key parts of the FLYMOTION equation, which is to give first responders the most capable, flexible and bulletproof drone solutions possible. This is why we have won contracts with major military and public safety agencies like the NYPD.” (Source: UAS VISION/Samsung Press Release)
28 Jan 20. Liteye Systems, Inc. (USA) and Chess Dynamics (UK), a Cohort plc company, have announced the signing of a new strategic alliance agreement between the two companies. The agreement grants Liteye the exclusive right to market a portfolio of Chess products and services in the United States. The strategic alliance provides a robust array of layered technologies available to address force protection and surveillance.
“This agreement is a huge accomplishment for both companies,” said Graham Beall, MD of Chess Technologies. “It enables us to expand our US business in support of the current and pending future contracts for Department of Defense, civilian agencies and other US based security customers.”
“This new agreement significantly expands our force protection and surveillance product portfolio beyond Counter UAS to now include fire control solutions, airport sense and warn, Naval gunnery systems and more,” said Kenneth Geyer, CEO of Liteye Systems. “This is a huge win for Chess Dynamics and Liteye Systems and we couldn’t be more proud.”
28 Jan 20. Luch-PRO is a stationary system intended to influence UAV navigation, control and information channels and ban UAV operations around a protected area, object or personnel.
What does it do?
According to Moscow-based Avtomatika Concern – Luch-PRO’s designer and manufacturer – the systems antenna emission angle varies from 30° to 60°, providing effective suppression of rotor or “copter” type UAVs at a distance of at least 6 km while in conditions of direct visibility.
Why does it work?
The power of the system at various frequencies in the range of the following
- 0.3 to 1 GHz – but not less than 150 watts
- 1 to 2 GHz – but not less than 200 watts
- 2 to 6 GHz – but at least 150 watts
How does it work?
The system automatically chooses the most efficient operational frequency upon determining the type of suppressed UAV channel. The emission works simultaneously in at least two ranges.
How does it perform?
Sources at Avtomatika Concern told ESD the accuracy of combining interference-frequencies with sensing interference is “…at least 10% of the high-frequency width spectrum of suppressed signals.”
The system reaction time after drone detection is about than 100 metres from base, while the manufacturer affirms that Luch-PRO efficiency range is at least 6 km.
Luch-PRO includes an antenna-feeder system along with noise generator blocks, a support and rotary device for the radio suppression sub-system. The control station itself is based on a laptop-type personal computer to meet customer specifications.
The Luch-PRO system operates within the temperature range of minus 40° С to more than 50° Celsius. Luch-PRO can also work under poor weather conditions including rain with an intensity of 5 mm / minute. Luch-PRO is not influenced by a reasonable level of sand and dust. One Luch-PRO station weighs 25 kg (without slewing ring).
The system is easily mountable on top of protected object as well as a vehicle roof top. The system can work together with the Sapsan-Bekas complex (pictured) as well. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
27 Jan 20. US Navy has no plans for MMP, despite NGA study. The US Navy (USN) said it has no plans to field Boeing’s Multi-Mission Pod (MMP) aboard any of its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms or to support efforts to develop an exportable version of the pod to allied nations, despite a 2019 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) study that explored integrating the MMP on the service’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft and MQ-25 unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
The NGA study was designed to “determine [the] utility and potential capability of government systems implemented into the MMP and flown by the P-8, and other government-owned Boeing platforms like the MQ-25”, according to a redacted version of the justification and approval document for the study, approved in June 2019. The review was scheduled to be completed that same year, the document stated, but the completion date was redacted.
Agency officials contracted the MMP integration review to Boeing’s Phantom Works, which handles the company’s cutting-edge technological research and development efforts. The directorate was selected to conduct the study, since the MMP and both aircraft are Boeing products, the document said.
Boeing’s P-8A is the navy’s primary manned ISR and maritime patrol aircraft, replacing the legacy P-3 Orion. It is primarily tasked with anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare operations. The MQ-25 is the navy’s unmanned aerial refuelling system, designed to extend the range of the USN’s carrier-based fighter aircraft. The inclusion of the MQ-25 in the NGA study was potentially a Pentagon effort to extend the platform’s mission set into long-range maritime ISR. (Source: Jane’s)
27 Jan 20. Earlier this month, DroneShield has announced that the United States Army has selected its wholly owned US subsidiary DroneShield LLC to advance to Phase II of Expeditionary Technology Search program (“xTechSearch”). DroneShield announced that following Phase II evaluation round, it has been progressed to Phase III of the evaluation process. Phase III will be held on 17-19 March at the 2020 Global Force Symposium & Exposition at Huntsville Alabama. The 2020 AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition is a 2 ½ -day event that will include presentations from the Army, DoD and industry related to the future of the Army. There is a cash grant award associated with progressing to Phase III.
xTechSearch is sponsored by U.S. Army’s Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. It enables the selected private sector companies to collaborate with the Army to tackle the most critical Army modernisation challenges.
The Army xTechSearch program provides non-dilutive funding to selected private sector companies to demonstrate their technologies pertaining to Army challenges. The program also drives to integrate these businesses into the Army’s Science and Technology ecosystem by providing research opportunities with Army labs, including authorized access to the Army’s organic intellectual and technical capital.
DroneShield LLC has been selected on the basis of Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning algorithms within its drone detection products.
DroneShield’s CEO Oleg Vornik commented, “The United States Department of Defense (US DoD) continues to substantially ramp up its counter-UAS work, with the recently reported decision to appoint the U.S. Army as the DoD’s executive agent for its counter-UAS efforts. We are pleased to progress into the next phase of the xTechSearch process, allowing DroneShield further engagement with the U.S. Army’s ecosystem, and growing our relationship with them towards their acquisition processes. This shortlisting continues to reinforce DroneShield’s proprietary technologies as market leading capabilities in the counter-UAS space globally.”
27 Jan 20. Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today broadens its optoelectronics portfolio with new RGBC-IR sensors for applications such as automatic white balancing and color cast correction in digital cameras; automatic LCD backlight adjustment; and active monitoring of LED color output for IoT and smart lighting. The new VEML3328 (top-looking) and VEML3328SL (side-looking) sensors offer better linearity and higher sensitivity compared to previous generation devices, as well as new features including an infrared (IR) channel.
The sensors released today sense red, green, blue, clear, and IR light by incorporating photodiodes, amplifiers, and analog / digital circuits into a single CMOS chip. With the ability to calculate color temperature and sense ambient light, the devices offer a compact solution for adjusting backlighting in consumer electronics and notebook computers. They can also help to differentiate indoor from outdoor lighting environments to ensure that displays maintain consistent true color and ideal brightness levels based on the current environment lighting conditions.
In addition to digital camera and TV applications, the VEML3328 and VEML3328SL will also be used in various industrial and consumer applications where their excellent temperature compensation capability will keep the sensors’ output stable under changing temperatures.
The sensors’ built-in ambient light photodiode offers extremely high sensitivity, allowing the devices to operate in applications with dark lens designs. A programmable analog gain and integration time function, as well as the additional IR channel, allow designers to tailor the VEML3328 and VEML3328SL to their applications.
The sensors’ functions are easily operated via the simple and power-efficient I²C (SMBus compatible) interface protocol. The devices feature a low operating voltage range of 2.6 V to 3.6 V to help prolong battery life in handheld and portable systems.
25 Jan 20. A new satellite to produce imagery for the intelligence community. Capella released the design for its new Sequoia satellite design Jan. 21, giving observers a first look at the new satellite the company plans to use to provide synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.
Unlike traditional satellite imagery produced with optical sensors, which can be degraded or denied by adverse lighting conditions or weather, SAR uses radar to provide imagery day or night, regardless of the weather or cloud cover. Additionally, SAR sensors can provide data on material properties, moisture content, precise movements, and elevation, meaning that SAR can be used to build 3D recreations of a given geographical area.
Both the Air Force and the NRO have awarded contracts to Capella. The Air Force wants to use SAR for virtual reality software, missile defense and developing predictive intelligence to foresee foreign threats, awarding a contract to the company in November. Meanwhile, the NRO issued a commercial study contract the company in December as part of its efforts to diversify what types of imagery the agency purchases from commercial companies.
Those contracts were issued before the company has launched its fleet of SAR satellites. While Capella executives hoped to have satellites on orbit by the end of 2019, its first commercial satellite now won’t launch until March, with six more to follow later in the year. Ultimately, the company expects a full suite of 36 satellites on orbit.
Now the company has revealed its design for its satellites, which the company said was revised based on lessons learned from its testbed satellite and customer feedback. The design allows the satellite to collect sub-.05 meter images with a 3.5 meter deployed mesh-based reflector antenna combined and a high power radar. It also enables continuous imaging over long distance—up to 4,000 km—using advanced thermal management systems.
The new satellite will also be able to utilize real-time tasking through an encrypted two-way link with Inmarsat, technology provided by Addvalue, and Amazon Web Services’ Ground Station network. Addvalue terminals on Capella’s satellites will be able to communicate with Inmarsat’s global L-Band communications satellites directly, meaning customers can pass their tasking orders through Inmarsat’s satellites instead of waiting hours for a Capella satellite to pass over a ground station. The company claims this allows them to delivery imagery within 30 minutes of collection.
“Our customers have spoken: today’s industry standard of waiting eight hours to receive data is woefully outdated. They want access to imagery that is reliable, timely and, most importantly, high-quality,” said Christian Lenz, vice president of engineering at Capella Space, in a press release.“ (Source: Defense News Early Bird/C4ISR & Networks)
27 Jan 20. RIEGL Partners with GeoCue to Grow UAS Market Share in North America. Expanding their UAS / ULS presence in North America through this strategic OEM partnership, RIEGL is excited to welcome GeoCue Group to the growing base of renowned RIEGL integrators.
Operating out of their United States headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, GeoCue Group will further promote RIEGL unmanned LiDAR innovations through the introduction of their True View® 615 and 620 LiDAR/imagery fusion systems, integrated with the newly introduced RIEGL miniVUX-2UAV miniaturized unmanned LiDAR scanner, an upgrade from the previously planned TrueView 610 with the miniVUX-1UAV with 100kHz pulse repetition rate (PRR) to 200 kHz.
This solution offers surveyors an innovative LiDAR and dual oblique mapping camera configuration integrated in a single lightweight payload for use on commercial drone platforms. True View allows for fast, easy automated generation of true 3D colorized point clouds, oblique imagery and orthophotos from a single flight.
“RIEGL is the premier manufacturer of high quality mapping LIDAR systems,” said Lewis Graham, President of GeoCue Group. “We have had a lot of experience over many years working with customers of RIEGL’s mobile and airborne laser scanning systems; these products are simply the best on the market for high accuracy/precision. I am extremely pleased to have GeoCue welcomed into the RIEGL OEM family.”
Providing world class LiDAR mapping solutions, GeoCue Group aims to help their clientele work more accurately and efficiently. Offering a complete tool kit of fast, accurate, and affordable products and services, GeoCue Group works with the geospatial industry’s leading companies to deploy and build scalable workflow solutions on a solid foundation of best practices.
“Over the years, Lewis Graham has established himself as a long-time reputable geospatial professional. GeoCue Group entering into the sUAS LiDAR system integration business is a natural progression, especially as the commercial UAS industry continues to mature and demand high accuracy LiDAR solutions. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”, states My-Linh Truong, ULS / UAS Segment Manager at RIEGL USA.
RIEGL is extremely excited to announce our partnership with GeoCue, along with their recent purchase of multiple miniVUX-2UAV scanners, and we look forward to a rewarding and successful relationship! (Source: UAS VISION)
27 Jan 20. CONTROP Precision Technologies Ltd. – a company specialising in the field of electro-optics and infrared (EO/IR) for defence and homeland security solutions – is announcing new capabilities for its iSea-50HD, replacing the thermal camera with a new HD thermal camera, and adding a SWIR channel which enables clear observation in the harsh environmental conditions typical of the Indian maritime climate.
The iSea-50HD system provides maximum-range surveillance using highly sensitive sensors, including an HD Thermal Imaging (TI) Camera working in the 3-5µ band with a continuous zoom lens, a high-sensitivity colour day camera, a SWIR channel and a long-range Eyesafe Laser Range Finder (ELRF). Among its additional features are advanced image processing and unique video enhancement algorithms.
Providing a full solution for naval and maritime operational requirements, CONTROP’s compact, lightweight iSea surveillance systems have been mission proven since the 1990s, integrated across the globe on a wide variety of vessels and in daily operation for maritime missions such as search & rescue, maritime surveillance, law enforcement, EEZ protection, counter piracy and special operations. In India, the iSea-30HD is already installed and active on multiple vessels belonging to the Indian Coast Guard. CONTROP is actively pursuing new contracts in this market and participating in local tenders for Indian shipyards, with the goal of continuing this successful cooperation.
“CONTROP continues to lead the development of customised technologies, tailored to meet customer demand and the challenging field conditions in which their forces operate,” says Mr. Hagay Azani, CONTROP’s CEO & President. “Being able to operate in harsh environments with limited visibility, at specific times of day and night, is critical to customers in this region.”
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Blighter® Surveillance Systems (BSS) is a UK-based electronic-scanning radar and sensor solution provider delivering an integrated multi-sensor package to systems integrators comprising the Blighter electronic-scanning radars, cameras, thermal imagers, trackers and software solutions. Blighter radars combine patented solid-state Passive Electronic Scanning Array (PESA) technology with advanced Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Doppler processing to provide a robust and persistent surveillance capability. Blighter Surveillance Systems is a Plextek Group company, a leading British design house and technology innovator, and is based at Great Chesterford on the outskirts of Cambridge, England.
The Blighter electronic-scanning (e-scan) FMCW Doppler ground surveillance radar (GSR) is a unique patented product that provides robust intruder detection capabilities under the most difficult terrain and weather conditions. With no mechanical moving parts and 100% solid-state design, the Blighter radar family of products are extremely reliable and robust and require no routine maintenance for five years. The Blighter radar can operate over land and water rapidly searching for intruders as small a crawling person, kayaks and even low-flying objects. In its long-range modes the Blighter radar can rapidly scan an area in excess of 3,000 km² to ensure that intruders are detected, identified and intercepted before they reach critical areas.
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