Maritime surveillance with integrated systems

Securing harbors and coastlines includes the task of monitoring and detecting people or vehicles attempting to enter a confined/protected area, other than at the legitimate access points. Modern systems should provide a total solution - including sensors, software, hardware, and a "control unit" to ensure complete security. Today a standard border security system may include several platforms, providing short-range, medium-range and long-range surveillance like perimeter protection, cameras and radars on observation towers, mobile surface and subsurface observation platforms - including land vehicles as well as maritime vessels or observation aerostats and aerial vehicles carrying all kinds of sensors to give a broader view of an area of interest. The ability to integrate those different types of surveillance means is essential to get a full picture and situation awareness. The paper introduces the concept of a universal ground station as a dynamic integrator for heterogeneous sensor platforms and sensor types depending on the surveillance needs of a specific maritime area of interest. A standardized interface to outside information systems is described taking into account the future need for combined civil and military operations for maritime safety and security.