Blighter Surveillance Systems has been set up to target systems integrators delivering sophisticated surveillance solutions into the global defence and commercial security markets. Formed earlier this year due to the growth of the Blighter radar group within Plextek Limited, Blighter Surveillance Systems intends to build on the sales success of the Blighter electronic-scanning radar system.
Central to its plans for growth are to develop and provide an integrated multi-sensor toolkit for systems integrators comprising not just the Blighter radars, but cameras, thermal imagers, trackers, and radar display and software solutions. A new multi-language version of the BlighterView software will provide a wealth of new features aimed at the system integrator, including the capability to support large scale deployments of radars, cameras, thermal imagers and other sensors.
Mark Radford, CEO of Blighter Surveillance Systems, said: "We have recognised for some time that our system integrator customers would prefer a single supplier to provide a more tightly coupled multi-sensor solution – particularly for large scale, complex border and site security projects. This approach offers obvious cost efficiencies, de-risks sensor compatibility issues and saves the customer having to integrate advanced radar, cameras and thermal imaging technology into their command and control applications.
“We have been developing this additional capability in the last 12 months to enable the provision of a multi-sensor solution and the software to control and operate all the elements efficiently and cost-effectively. The launch of Blighter Surveillance Systems marks the beginning of a new phase in the growth for the Blighter business as we seek to forge relationships with key systems integrators and strategic partners but also to build on the long term relationships with our existing customers.”
According to Blighter Surveillance Systems, the Blighter advanced ground surveillance radar will remain at the heart of its surveillance offering. Conceived in 2003 and now in operational use in over a dozen countries, Blighter radars combine patented solid-state Passive Electronic Scanning Array (PESA) technology with advanced Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Doppler processing to provide a robust persistent-surveillance capability.
“The newly-formed business will continue to focus on defence, land and water border surveillance, perimeter security and critical infrastructure protection with initial geographic emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa,” added Radford. “We see a lot of potential for us in these regions as our multi-sensor solution is effective in all kinds of surveillance applications – and is highly efficient in all terrains and weather conditions. For example, our radars are maintenance free and keep working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, monitoring humans, vehicles or even low flying aircraft.”
Blighter Surveillance Systems will now operate as a separate business within the Plextek Group. Its dedicated team of highly experienced hardware and software engineers, operations management and support staff will be based at Plextek’s Great Chesterford headquarters on the outskirts of Cambridge, England. Blighter products are designed in-house and manufactured in the United Kingdom by several different contract manufacturers.