ECA demos unmanned port protection
ECA Group has demonstrated an unmanned solution for port and coastal protection in the Toulon area in the south of France.
The company’s solution combines the Inspector Mk2 unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and the IT180-60 UAV controlled and supervised from an onshore command and control centre. This can also be augmented with underwater sensors for diver detection, giving operators a complete situational awareness picture across aerial, water surface and underwater approaches.
The system is able to detect, track and interdict potentially dangerous air, sea and undersea threats such as malicious UAVs, fast attack boats or divers; either as a stand-alone solution, or integrated in a wider system for maritime critical infrastructure protection.
The demonstration saw a simulated intruder enter the area of surveillance, where it was detected by the USV and UAVs' radar and electro-optical payloads. The identified threat was then forced to leave the area by means of inoffensive but effective non-lethal weapons.
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