First SSC Maritime Surveillance System for Malaysia

The first of two airborne maritime surveillance system from Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has taken off for Malaysia. The MSS 6000 systems will be operated on board Bombardier 415 MP Maritime Patrol aircraft by the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). During the flight tests in Canada the MMEA crew also received preliminary training from the participating SSC engineers. The full mission training is planned to take place on site in Malaysia at the beginning of 2010.
MSS 6000, the latest generation of SSC’s airborne maritime surveillance system is used for surveillance of sea surface activities such as economic zone protection, environment protection, law enforcement and search and rescue.

Keeping a close watch
The MSS 6000 system for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency includes a SLAR (Side-Looking Airborne Radar), a FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red), still and video cameras, AIS (Auto ma tic Identification System), satellite communication, integrated presentation of information from Direction Finder and FMS (Flight Management System) and a ground station for pre- and post processing on ground.
Information from the sensors is displayed in real time and is tightly integrated with a tactical map which also shows the current aircraft position and the flight track as well as an overview of all observations made during the mission. The map image has a large number of operator selectable overlays such as background information, geocorrected overlays from SLAR, AIS information, observation and target notes, notes on location of captured images from cameras and video. All information from the mission is saved and can be compiled in mission reports and/or sent on to ground station and other units.

Huge area to watch
The MMEA patrols extensive waterways; The Straits of Malacca, South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Sulawesi Sea form the waterway between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and the area plays an important role in global sea trade. Oil from Persian Gulf countries and West Africa pass through the Straits of Malacca. The MMEA is the principal government agency tasked with maintaining law and order and coordinating search and rescue operations in the Malaysian waters. The highly sophisticated mission equipment provided by SSC on board the multi-purpose amphibious aircraft from Bombardier will be an important contribution to the sur-veillance capability of the MMEA.
The choice of MSS 6000 systems by Bombardier and the Malaysian authorities confirms SSC’s leading position in airborne maritime surveillance system development and integration. SSC has over 30 years’ experience of MSS deliveries and an impressive record of references in more than 20 countries, e.g. Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Greece, the USA and Canada. This contract also re-inforces SSC’s success in Asia as advanced MSS systems are also being integrated for India (on Dornier 228) and Vietnam (CASA-212-400).

About Gregers Møller

Editor-in-Chief • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok, Thailand

View all posts by Gregers Møller

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