Saab Tests New Ways to Guard Ports and Sea Routes

During an international naval exercise, information from several underwater sensors reached a shared command centre automatically. Those directing the exercise could follow detected objects through one system, according to Saab, which announced the results on October 28.

The company’s new Ocean Barrier system is intended to help protect harbours, naval bases and offshore installations. By bringing sensor information together, it can help operators follow an underwater object as it moves through the area they are guarding.

Saab says coastal authorities can connect equipment they already own, reducing the need to replace existing sensors.

The company also announced progress on surveillance from the air. Working with General Atomics, a US aircraft manufacturer, Saab tested radar aboard a remotely piloted aircraft in Southern California.

According to the manufacturers, the radar followed several air and sea targets simultaneously over long distances. The aircraft it tracked included fighter jets and commercial planes.

The aim is to supplement conventional surveillance aircraft with unmanned flights that can watch large areas without carrying an aircrew.

Neither announcement confirms that the systems have entered operational service. The manufacturers have released no independently verified figures showing how far away they can detect objects or how accurately they track them.