Textron Systems' Terrain Commander Selected by Australian Defence Materiel Organisation for Unattended Ground Sensor Program
18 December 2000
Textron Systems' Terrain Commander Selected by Australian Defence Materiel Organisation for Unattended Ground Sensor Program
WILMINGTON, Mass.--Dec. 18, 2000--The Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has selected Textron Systems' Terrain Commander to fulfill its requirement for an Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) capability under the Project Ninox ground-based surveillance program. Project Ninox seeks to introduce a range of night fighting and ground-based surveillance capabilities to Australian Defence Forces."We are pleased to have been selected as the preferred contractor for this important program. Although unattended ground sensors are not new, Terrain Commander is one of the first systems to provide such comprehensive capabilities. It integrates a suite of advanced sensors to provide detailed activity reports along with images in near real-time via satellite," said Dick Millman, President, Textron Systems.
"The Australian Defence Force plans to use the system to monitor sensitive areas such as isolated airfields, roadways and waterways. Terrain Commander is an ideal solution for this type of requirement, as well as for other operations such as border surveillance - now a critical need for so many countries," continued Millman.
Leading an international team, Textron Systems combined its long-range acoustic tracking technology and software with components, subsystems and services from its partners: Thales Defence Ltd. (intrusion detection sensors), Tenix Defence Systems (electro-optical imaging system and software), ESRI Australian Defence (mapping display software) and Helitech Pty. Ltd. (logistics support services).
Terrain Commander is a complete system that provides a highly effective surveillance capability without personnel on site. Unlike other basic intruder detection systems, Terrain Commander's suite of Field Deployable Equipment (FDE) remotely identifies and tracks moving objects, and provides visual confirmation. With this level of information, large areas can be monitored effectively by personnel from a central remote facility.
Terrain Commander transmits images and data only when specified activity is detected. The system has the ability to characterize and discriminate in real time, preventing nuisance reporting or false alarms. Day and night cameras provide around-the-clock surveillance, while a satellite-based, long-haul communications link provides unlimited range. The system is designed to operate, even when all field components are either buried or camouflaged. Easily tailored, the system can meet mission-specific requirements in the areas of border control, drug interdiction, surveillance and intelligence gathering operations.
As a part of the source selection process, Textron Systems successfully completed a Confirmatory Demonstration, during which Terrain Commander detected and classified personnel, ground vehicles, watercraft, and both rotary and fixed wing aircraft. The system autonomously cued the electro-optics to capture, compress, and transmit images, via satellite communications link, to a Central Monitoring Facility where images were displayed for analysis and decision making.
Textron Systems expects to be awarded the approximately $20 million contract by June 2001. This contract includes the purchase of seven UGS systems, each consisting of field deployable equipment and a Central Monitoring Facility capable of monitoring up to 10 independent FDE sites. Deliveries are scheduled for early 2002.
Textron Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is a leading supplier of advanced systems, components and materials for use in defense, aerospace, automotive and industrial applications. Textron Systems is an ISO 9001 registered manufacturer.
Textron Inc. is an $11.6 billion, global, multi-industry company with market-leading businesses in Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and Finance. Textron has a workforce of over 68,000 employees and major manufacturing facilities in 30 countries. Textron is among Fortune magazine's "Global Most Admired Companies." Additional information is available at www.textron.com.