LandWarNet 2011: 3eTI pitches perimeter protection solution for Afghanistan operations

3e Technologies International (3eTI), an Ultra Electronics subsidiary, is preparing to install its Virtual Perimeter Monitoring System (VPMS) into the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as it offers up the solution to land forces operating in Afghanistan.

Speaking to Shephard at the LandWarNet conference in Tampa, 3eTI president, Olugbenga Erinle said the system would be deployed by the end of the year, scotching any rumours that US forces would be pulling out of Cuba. ‘We are putting in a very robust system in there,’ he stressed.

Having been awarded the contract in June last year, Erinle would not be drawn on operational specifics but admitted that it would include a mix of short, medium and long range EO/IR and thermal imaging sensors with potential for radar payloads to be integrated in the future.

Meanwhile, the company is introducing GunfireGuard, a new system that delivers the strengths of 3eTI’s VPMS technology and Ultra Electronics’ acoustic sensor technology, making it more applicable to market to the US Army and operations in Afghanistan.

‘We have had extensive success with the US Navy,’ Erinle said while describing how VPMS is also in place at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. ‘But we have not penetrated the army as much so we have had to adapt the solution to work alongside RAID towers and C-RAM infrastructure.’

He added that talks were ongoing with companies including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon which currently supply US forces in Afghanistan with the Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) and Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) system respectively. Outlining how any C4ISR system could be integrated into VPMS, Erinle said: ‘We are looking to factor requirements into the tail-end of our development.’

Based on its Virtual Fence system, VPMS strings together EO/IR sensors into a wireless network in order to provide perimeter and base protection for fixed installations and forward operating bases. The system, Erinle said, could be set up within 15 minutes. It also has the ability to forewarn an operator through ‘virtual’ motion-detecting tripwires and loiter sensors, as well as highlighting penetration of areas of operation.