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21st-century border surveillance

The mission of securing a nation’s borders is challenging for many reasons, chief among them is the sheer size of the area that needs to be effectively monitored and patrolled.

Border surveillance solutions from Secu-Systems provide Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar and multispectral imaging sensors needed to meet this demanding mission, as well as command and control software that enables the creation of a flexible, scalable border security infrastructure that can meet the demanding, ever-changing threats encountered every day.

Effective radar coupled with long-range thermal and visible light imaging systems provide advanced warning of inbound threats, as well as the visual threat assessment needed to formulate an effective response. While the initial investment in hardware may be more costly than for a lesser solution, the long-term operational cost actually results in a net savings. By coupling long-range optical systems, the nature and threat levels of intrusions can be determined remotely in the command centre or forward observation post instead of having personnel respond to every alarm in their sector.

In other words, what’s spent with the initial acquisition is saved whenever your response teams don’t have to waste time and resources visually verifying the causes of alarms. The combination of radar and long-range imaging is also more adaptable to changing threat structures, speeds and even topography.

Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses. Using them as complementary sensors allows operators to use the strengths of one to overcome the weaknesses of the other. For instance, while radar can provide persistent 360° coverage every second out to distances of more than 5 km, it can neither identify friend or foe, nor determine the intent of what it detects.

Conversely, an imaging system can identify the target, but in doing so it is covering a comparatively narrow field of view.

Combining the two technologies provides a persistent coverage of multiple targets, while the camera (or cameras) can automatically slew to targets of interest and identify them. Effective radar detects threats at great distances, providing important reaction time.

Radar provides important target parameters – range, bearing, course, speed and GPS coordinates. With these parameters, and a long-range thermal imager, situational awareness is greatly increased and the appropriate response can be quickly determined and taken. But knowing that a radar/long-range thermal imager multisensory solution is the answer is only part of the decision.

For more information, contact Secu-Systems, +27 (0)11 794 7834, [email protected], www.secusystems.co.za

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