A combination of Plextek’s Blighter B202 Mk 2 portable electronic scanning ground surveillance radar and Liteye’s Aquila PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) thermal imaging surveillance system is offering a portable battery powered surveillance solution that delivers a fortress-like ring of security over an area of many hundreds of square kilometres. Although targeting the VIP protection market, the solution is also said to be suited to other fixed and mobile surveillance applications including military camp protection, airport security and checkpoint security.
Mark Radford, director of the Blighter Group, explained that to protect VIPs such as royalty, politicians or dignitaries, you need ‘eyes’ on the ground, over water or in the sky. The solution delivers by using the Blighter portable radar system for early rapid target detection (people, vehicles and low flying aircraft) and the Liteye high performance cameras and thermal imagers on agile pan/tilt mechanisms to rapidly intercept and confirm the identity of the intruder.
The Liteye’s high-performance, rugged multi-sensor system is designed to MIL-STD for day and night operations in the harshest weather and environmental conditions.
The three cameras – thermal imager microbolometer (640 x 480 17µm), visible camera with zoom lens, and situational awareness WFoV low-light camera – and its 360° continuous rotation at 100° per second – makes it particularly well suited for VIP protection. Furthermore, Blighter radars feature 24-hour all-weather capability and are virtually maintenance free.
Ultra-slow movement detection by Blighter radar, including a crawling person, is made possible using Blighter’s Passive Electronic Scanning Array (PESA) technology. The radar’s wide elevation beam makes for easy alignment by eye in hilly terrain and also provides detection of low flying manned or unmanned aircraft.
