Equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI), CoastShield enhances situational awareness, enabling operators to make faster and more precise decisions. The system integrates cutting-edge sensors, including the CoastWatcher radar, ensuring continuous monitoring up to 100 nautical miles, regardless of weather conditions.
The modern maritime environment poses significant challenges, with vast coastlines, dynamic maritime activities, and potential threats concealed among routine civil operations. Reliable surveillance systems are crucial to mitigate risks to coastlines, maritime activities, and national security, including vital infrastructure such as windfarms. Thales positions itself as a leader in this field with the launch of CoastShield.
CoastShield employs a series of complementary sensors that provide early detection and tracking of even the smallest targets. Data integration occurs simultaneously and in real-time, covering surface-level to lower-altitude airspace up to 100 nautical miles, offering exceptional maritime situational awareness. This capability supports coastguards and maritime authorities in identifying and responding to threats more swiftly and effectively, enhancing collaboration between civil and military entities.
Central to the system’s capabilities is the long-range CoastWatcher radar, known for its outstanding performance in challenging conditions. The radar includes an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, which transmits large volumes of data to the Control Centre. The system also incorporates radio communications, long-range electro-optical sensors, and a video management system for camera selection and recording. Additionally, drones, sonobuoys, and satellites can be integrated due to the system’s modular design.
The maritime Control Centre consolidates data from all sensors to produce a comprehensive and current maritime overview. With an open architecture, the system allows integration with data from Forces headquarters. A user-friendly interface paired with AI capabilities simplifies complex data into actionable insights, expediting the classification process for informed decision-making in critical situations.
“With CoastShield, Thales ensures a nationwide coastal surveillance solution with early detection of the full threat spectrum, based on a smart set of sensors and its unique experience in Artificial Intelligence,” said Lionel de Castellane, Vice-President for Coastal and Civils Radars at Thales. “This launch marks a significant step in our commitment to support nations in protecting coastlines and off-shore critical assets, and reinforcing sovereignty.”
