The Swedish Space Corporation has won its first order for the MSS 6000, the latest generation of its maritime surveillance system.
Transport Canada has chosen the system to monitor activities in its national waters, including the illegal discharge of pollution from ships. Other civilian coastguard applications include monitoring fishing and shipping, detecting threats to the marine environment and providing public services.
Christer Colliander, project manager for airborne systems, says: "By fitting MSS, organisations can get greater use from their aircraft. For example, aircraft used for fighting forest fires can also be used for border patrols or search and rescue outside the fire season."
The Transport Canada contract is for a typical MSS 6000, consisting of side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), infrared/ultraviolet line scanner, airborne automatic identification system for ships and high-resolution digital camera and video system. Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) can also be included, aiding night-time identification and recording detailed images even when the aircraft is flying past the target at speed.
Surveillance
Information is stored digitally in a geographic database and presented to the operator as map overviews of the area under surveillance. It can be transmitted in real time to an onshore control centre, sea surface units or other aircraft via conventional data link or satellite.
Swedish Space Corporation's surveillance systems are also in use in Norway, the US, Portugal and Poland. The Hellenic Army uses it on its Bombardier 415 MP flying boats.
Source: Flight Daily News
