NEWS - Remote monitoring made safer - Plextek demonstrates 'Blighter' at Paris Air Show

Plextek's electronics design services include:FPGA design, ESCAN Radar, MMIC design, GPRS design, Communications product design, Microwave design Defence electronics, Electronic product design, RF design, DSP design, Telemetry system, System Integration,Communications system design, Due diligence

Press Release

Remote monitoring made safer - Plextek demonstrates 'Blighter' at Paris Air Show
Plextek, the independent electronics design consultancy, has designed a portable electronic scan Radar, that uses the latest communications technology for remote monitoring in the battlefield. Called Blighter (Battlefield Lightweight E-scan Radar), the new high performance and entirely portable product, controlled by a commercial laptop computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), can selectively monitor areas of interest from a safer position, identify targets of interest and can be used by several remote users at once.
Blighter provides a low cost, energy efficient, easily deployable battlefield surveillance system with availability to all troops. It will be on show at Plextek's stand at the Paris Air Show (15-22 June).

No cabling is required as the Blighter surveillance unit is wireless network enabled, thereby providing links with standard laptops and PDAs. Portability means that users can move the radar sensor to the main surveillance location, yet scan from a more secure position. The combination of the wireless data links and e-scan antenna system enables users to select what to scan and, at the same time, conserve energy and improve scan efficiency. For instance, one user may want to monitor an airport, while another may be more interested in a road leading to it - this system will allow individuals to zoom into their own area of interest.

The antenna and signal processing technology is incorporated into a lightweight unit. The antenna is entirely static with a single electronically formed beam that scans rapidly over the areas of interest. The antenna can be set up on the battlefield on a tripod, or by strapping to a building or tree. Selective scanning allows battery life to be considerably extended for long term surveillance requirements.

Significantly the Blighter surveillance unit can incorporate optional sensors, including ESM, acoustic, video, seismic and chemical sensors, to provide a complete sensory surveillance unit and so improve surveillance capability and situational awareness. Multiple Blighter units may be networked to form a wide area surveillance and target triangulation system.

An advanced, integrated Signal Processing unit provides excellent target range and doppler resolution performance. User selectable modes provide easy radar configuration for different user requirements and environments.

Compact, yet robust, the use of standard laptops and PDAs drives down the cost of deploying and supporting the troops using the Blighter system. All troops can affordably carry a PDA to improve their situational awareness.

Plextek will be part of the UK pavilion, organised by The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) - the national trade association of the UK Aerospace Industry - at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget, Paris, France.

Released 12/06/2003