Blighter, a designer and manufacturer of ground-based electronic-scanning radars for border and coastal security, has unveiled BlighterNexus, an AI-assisted connectivity and processing hub.
BlighterNexus is designed to drastically reduce the training and operational burden on systems integrators seeking to incorporate Blighter’s smart/cognitive ITAR-free 2D, 3D and 4D radars into their command and control (C2) systems.
According to the company, cost savings of up to 20 percent can be achieved by customers and integrators using the AI-assisted software to automate setup, configuration and adjustment of multiple radars to deliver optimum performance even in changing weather conditions.
Mark Radford, co-founder and chief technology officer at Blighter, said, “BlighterNexus is a groundbreaking product that will simplify radar to C2 system integration. Our aim is to become the integrator’s friend by providing a modular, scaleable and upgradeable platform that will not only be simple to integrate, simple to operate but will also optimise target detection capabilities while reducing our customers’ training and operational costs.”
The BlighterNexus AI-assisted Hub comprises around 30 different licensable ‘service,’ ‘sensor-connector,’ ‘C2-connector’ and ‘application’ modules. For example, in addition to the automation functions, there are sensor connector modules to allow low latency integration of cameras, radio direction finding equipment for drone detection and other geo sensors to provide integrators with an all-in-one detect-track-identify capability.
BlighterNexus also features a module to securely record all sensor data for real-time playback and/or post mission/forensic analysis and an AI system for target classification. For integrators who want to fuse and cognitively assess data from multiple sensors, a Fat-Pipe module allows all radar data to be flooded out of BlighterNexus into an external AI system if preferred.
“Our patented electronic-scanning radars are already deployed in over 40 countries to protect national borders, ports and harbours as well as critical infrastructure sites,” said Radford. “The launch of BlighterNexus consolidates our position as the radar supplier of choice for integrators wanting to create layered multi-sensor surveillance systems to detect, track and classify small and slow-moving threats in complex environments.”
BlighterNexus comes pre-installed on an industrial PC to simplify setup and allow flexible licensing and through-life support. The BlighterNexus Hub provides a unified 360-degree radar feed to the C2 system or additional BlighterNexus Hubs.
Blighter radars are trusted by the UK Ministry of Defence for forward operating base protection, the South Korean Army for border surveillance along the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), by the United States Air Force for drone detection, and the UK’s major airports for perimeter protection. Blighter radars feature low-probability-of-intercept waveforms and are designed for rugged operation at fixed and mobile locations and on the move.
Blighter will be exhibiting at The International Defence Exhibition and Conference, IDEX, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 17-21 February 2025 (UKDSE Stand: 03-C35, Hall 3).