SAES has offered a conference entitled ‘Design and Operational Tests of a Lineal Sonar performed for the detection of illegal boats in Mediterranean shallow waters’ during the IV the fourth National Conference on R&D in Defence and Security.
The conference focuses on the conclusions that SAES has obtained throughout their participation in CLOSEYE, a European programme that lead to the validation of innovative technologies applicable to the surveillance of the EU Maritime Borders.
The programme is in the final development stage and supported by the seventh European Framework Programme, and has been developed in collaboration with important companies. SAES participation is based on the deployment of a linear antenna passive sonar and digital technology as a way for the detection, tracking and identification of illegal activies as drugs traffic or irregular migration.
This issue has capital importance for the European Union, specifically to have tested surveillance solutions to be able to face the upcoming security threats and risks. This fact was one of the chances that allow the SAES solution was included at the programme.
In addition to the sonar deployment, SAES has encountered other technological challenges such as automatisation of the detection system, tracking and classification, satellital communication and development of an effective system to characterise boats and data recording in a classification database. In summary, SAES has developed and validated a system fully customised for surveillance tasks.
SAES is currently working in two lines: the improvement of the antenna detection features and a more completed classification database.
The fourth National Conference on R&D in Defence and Security was held at the Spanish Air Force Academy in San Javier (Murcia) on 16, 17 and 18 November.
The confererence is a forum and meeting point for all agents related to R&D within the field of Defence and Security: Universities, University Centres of Defence, the University Center for the Spanish Guardia Civil, public research institutions, companies and laboratories. Along with SAES, other companies such as Navantia, ISDEFE, EXPAL and INDRA also participated.
The conference promotes the presentation and dissemination of current research and development in the civilian context with results and innovative methodologies that are potentially applicable to national defence and security, resulting in dual-use technologies.