Kelvin Hughes launches new drone detection radar
Kelvin Hughes said it would be launching its new drone detection system at the Home Office Security & Policing exhibition. The SMS-D is the first integrated, medium-range, radar-based surveillance system designed for the detection and tracking of small aerial targets.
Whether used maliciously or just irresponsibly, drones represent a new threat to security. The SMS-D tracks the real-time position of these aerial targets, including those that could be used to attack infrastructure, vehicles or individuals as well as those that may be used for hostile observation or smuggling. Based on the company’s solidstate SharpEye X-Band radar transceiver technology, the system is able to detect drones up to 1.5 km away.
Highly cost-effective, the SMS-D provides continuously updated bearing, distance, altitude and velocity data. The latest addition to the Kelvin Hughes SMS (Single Mast Solution) range, it identifies targets automatically through its video tracking system, ensuring that any remedial or defensive action can be implemented without delay.
The SMS is designed to accommodate a combination of radar, optical and thermal imaging devices in order to provide 3600 surveillance of any site perimeter or border as well as providing early detection of any drones or other UAVs. The SMS can be fixed to a permanent structure or mounted on a vehicle to further extend the envelope of detection.
Jonathan Field, Security Systems and Sensors Director for Kelvin Hughes, commented: “We’re very much looking forward to the official launch of the SMS-D. The first of its kind, the system is a fully integrated package of radar and electro-optic sensors and software providing a sophisticated yet highly cost-effective response to the increasing threat of drone incursion. And it’s yet another example of our long-proven record of world-leading innovation.”
Not all aircraft at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon actually have pilots — just ask the team at the Navy Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit. The unit is tasked with testing two different unmanned aircraft types — the ScanEagle (fixed-wing) and the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 (rotarywing) for the Royal Australian Navy.
Lt Commander Matt Hyam is the Engineering Manager in charge of the maintenance and engineering of both unmanned aircraft systems. Most of the staff at the unit are aviation technicians, specialising in avionics or airframes.
“We only have a very small team here at Avalon this year because a lot of our technicians are currently undergoing world-class training with Schiebel in Vienna, Austria, for two months,” Lt Commander Hyam said.
“The ScanEagle is a fixed-wing, unmanned aircraft focused on providing commanders with a vital intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability, providing a more complete battle picture,” Chief Petty Officer Hustwit said.
“At sea, the ScanEagle operates well beyond the range of a warship’s organic sensors, providing a vital eye in the sky.” The ScanEagle has been on trials by the Navy for about 18 months, with first of class trials conducted in HMA ships Choules and Newcastle.
This is the first time the Navy has displayed the Schiebel Camcopter S-100, which looks like a mini helicopter, so it is drawing the biggest crowd. “The main advantage of the Schiebel is its vertical take-off and landing capability, which saves on the deck space that would be required for a launcher,” he said.