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Thermal imaging

Law enforcement needs an efficient round-the-clock ground-based surveillance capability to support coastal and maritime operations. This is possible with thermal imaging technology, which lends itself to tasks ranging from surveillance of the coastline, borders and harbours, to monitoring of illegal activities such as drug-trafficking, poaching and smuggling.

Thermal imaging has proven to be an invaluable tool, capable of detecting, recognising, identifying and tracking targets over long-ranges round-the-clock, in both good and adverse weather conditions where conventional imaging systems are ineffective.

Cedip Infrared Systems, available locally through FC LogCon, offers a wide range of thermal imaging equipment, suitable for the full spectrum of coastal surveillance activities, ranging from handheld systems to high-end imaging systems for long-range applications.

If we consider long-range surveillance applications, we often have a situation where the observation post or OP is situated on high ground at a vantage point along the coast. The aim of such an OP is to monitor an area that has already been identified as an area of interest by means of intelligence gathering. In such cases we would typically use a cryogenically cooled trifocal thermal imager with three fields of view in order to offer increased flexibility to the operator.

Such systems are capable of tracking a small speedboat at distances of up to 10 km. By selecting the narrowest field of view, thermal imaging cameras are typically capable of detecting large ships at more than 20 km, recognising them at up to 19 km, and identifying them at up to 15 km.

FC LogCon will be exhibiting thermal imaging products in Hall 2 on Stand A43.

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