Page 11 - ADT MAY-JUNE 2022 Online Magazine

globe providing search, rescue and reconnais- gets and strike.
sance capabilities. The intelligence gathered by the Harop is directly integrated in the
vessel’s control room and allows for quick, accurate and lethal deci-
Elbit Systems offers extended life-saving capa- sion-making. Use of the Harop on naval platforms is an operational
bilities with its recently launched Hermes 900 alternative and complementary element to using sea-sea missiles,
Maritime Patrol configuration with inflated life- with a wide range of uses and with optimal cost-efficiency for the
rafts for detection, identification and saving the navy. The maritime and land combat-proven Harop provides an
lives of survivors at sea. It was revealed that this operational solution for a range of low and high-intensity conflict
configuration was delivered to an undisclosed scenarios and for anti-terrorism activity. The Harop is equipped [ UNMANNED SYSTEMS ]
customer in South-East Asia. Interactively with day/night cameras and has the ability to search, find and
controlled from mobile land-based mission attack with maximum precision both static and moving targets, on
systems, fixed operation rooms or own force land or at sea and at a long-range. A strike can take place from
ships, Hermes 900 provides multi-sensor data any direction and at any angle of attack.
and live video in real time to mission operators
and ship crews at sea.
Sea View
Hermes 900 UAS can operate stand alone or Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) entrusted
can be integrated into an overall setup of air- Kongsberg Geospatial to conduct trials of a new long-endurance
craft, ships, shore or offshore based sensors, UAV surveillance system for the Canadian Coast Guard. The
and maritime control centers and HQ. Hermes MartinUAV V-BAT aircraft was selected to provide the unique ability
900 can perform versatile missions such as to combine take-off and landing from the small confines aboard ship
EEZ monitoring & control, coastal protection, with the long endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft while carrying multi-
surveillance & protection of vital assets (such ple sensors. “UAVs are a useful tool, but they are only truly effective
as oil rigs), anti-piracy operations, environmen- if they can collect sensor data that results in actionable intelligence,
tal monitoring, search & rescue operations as “said Ranald McGillis, President of Kongsberg Geospatial.
well as participation in Naval warfare (ASuW),
Sea-Shore operations, and more, a company The aircraft will communicate with the Kongsberg Geospatial
official informed. sensor data management system, called Midas, which allows a
range of sensor data, including full-motion video from unmanned
Loitering Strike systems to be processed and exploited in near real-time by ana-
Similarly, IAI recently signed deals to provide lysts on board Canadian Coast Guard ships. Midas provides the
loitering munitions systems to Asian countries capability to compare historical and live data from the mission
worth over US$100 million. The deals include area, and to examine sensor data with a variety of tools, including
the sale of the Naval version of the Harop motion and object detection, in near-real time. This near real-time
system. The Maritime Harop system provides analytical capability can greatly enhance the effectiveness of UAVs
an operational solution for a range of vessels, for a variety of mission types.
from offshore vessels to fighting frigates in the
naval theater. In a complex naval theater, the The V-BAT Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) provided by Martin
Harop system gives mission commanders in a UAV is a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft
fleet of ships the capability to independently specifically designed to operate from very small spaces on ships,
and organically collect intelligence, assess tar- land, and nearly any environment. The V-BAT is a long-endurance
aircraft capable of carrying multiple sensors, including land and
maritime wide area surveillance. “Our Midas system allows users
to fully exploit raw sensor data and derive useful intelligence at
the tactical edge where the UAV is being used. In a search and
rescue context, that could mean using infrared sensors, or near

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