The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has signed a contract with CEIIA-Centro de Engenharia e Desenvolvimento for long range endurance maritime surveillance. CEIIA will provide services based on the Hermes 900 RPAS subcontracted from Elbit. This RPAS has advanced capabilities in terms of operational flight duration (more than 12 hours) and payload configuration.
It carries optical and infrared cameras, a multi-mode maritime radar, AIS and distress signal receiver, thereby giving it long range detection, recognition, and identification capabilities. In addition, the aircraft is equipped with satellite communications allowing for the surveillance of large maritime areas beyond radio line of sight.
Vertical take-Off and landing RPAS
The Camcopter S-100 RPAS can be operated directly from ships, thereby extending its range of surveillanceFor vertical take-off and landing RPAS, EMSA signed a contract with Schiebel Aircraft GmbH. The Camcopter S-100 RPAS can be operated directly from ships, thereby extending its range of surveillance. This model of VTOL RPAS has the capability of taking off and landing vertically from both the shore and vessels. It has more than six hours operational flight time and carries a payload with optical and infrared cameras, an optical scanner, AIS receiver, and has a maximum range of 100km.
For emissions monitoring, EMSA signed a contract with a three-party consortium comprising Nordic Unmanned AS, UMS Skeldar Sweden AB and Norut Northern Research Institute AS.
This consortium will provide emissions monitoring and multi-purpose services based on the VTOL RPAS, Skeldar V-200. This RPAS carries a sensor for the monitoring of sulphur emissions, is able to take off and land vertically, has more than four hours operational flight time and a range of more than 50 km. The Skeldar V-200 also carries a payload of optical and infrared cameras as well as an AIS receiver.
Strengthens maritime surveillance capabilities
These new RPAS contracts strengthen EMSA’s maritime surveillance capabilities even further"For support to surveillance operations from vessels, EMSA contracted lightweight quadcopters from Nordic Unmanned AS. These services will be based on more than ten INDAGO2 quadcopters from Lockheed Martin. The first devices will be installed on board EMSA’s standby pollution response vessels to support oil spill recovery operations. At a later stage, they may also be activated for surveillance operations from any patrol vessel.
EMSA Executive Director, Markku Mylly, added “These new RPAS contracts strengthen EMSA’s maritime surveillance capabilities even further. We are now able to offer extended support to national authorities executing coast guard functions, such as maritime pollution, emissions monitoring and search and rescue operations, as well as to European agencies in the areas of illegal fishing detection, anti-drug trafficking and border surveillance.”
