Why situational intelligence is the key to creating safer spaces

“Enabling greater situational intelligence is at the core of our mission at Operational Solutions. With a range of drone detection and perimeter security solutions, we strive to provide unparalleled visibility and security – creating safer spaces for all." – Mark Legh-Smith, CEO at Operational Solutions.

In December of 2018, London Gatwick airport was forced to ground more than 1,000 flights – affecting over 140,000 passengers - as a result of unauthorised drone activity. This marked the first time in which a drone incursion forced a complete airport shutdown, and the threat continues to persist. To date, London Heathrow has reported more than 400 drone incidents to authorities, with each incident posing a significant threat to both security and airport operations.

As the capabilities of drone technology continue to advance, their impact on our daily lives is one that’s impossible to avoid. While drone technology is propelling a new era of vision photography and flight, this acceleration also comes with unprecedented challenges.

Alongside the uptake in drone availability and capabilities, the threat to the security of protected airspaces and crowded events has already been identified, noted, and tested. By accessing an enhanced level of situational intelligence, security teams can quickly and confidently respond to any drone incursions in protected airspaces.

Navigating the challenge of drones in secure spaces

When drones enter protected airspaces – whether intentional or accidental - they can introduce multiple complexities.

In commercial spaces such as airports, this may include flight and operational disruption, potential damage to aircraft and other assets, as well as possible dangers to civilians through a breach in overall security. In crowded spaces, this danger is only heightened.

The threat that drones represent can be vast and unprecedented, and the nature of environments themselves can also make it more difficult to ensure perimeter security.

For airports such as Gatwick and Heathrow, commercial plants, and other sites of importance, a large perimeter combined with multiple buildings represent an equally vast airspace that can be exploited by drone incursions. What’s more, sensitive radars designed to track small drones may also detect and identify other moving objects, while complex frequency environments can make tracking the unique radio signature of a drone difficult.

In any environment, ensuring the protection and security of civilians always remains the core priority. But, with these significant challenges to overcome, how can security teams respond to this emerging challenge?

Enabling situational intelligence through advanced solutions

At Operational Solutions, we truly understand the importance of safeguarding personnel and mitigating the potential threats of drone incursions before they escalate. Our range of tools is designed to provide heightened situational intelligence, empowering teams to confidently close the window of vulnerability with maximum response times. With access to enhanced situational intelligence, teams can realise:

Unparalleled awareness

Drones can present a threat to sites as soon as they enter private airspace, meaning that elevating the awareness of security teams is key.

Our various counter-drone solutions are designed to provide security teams with unparalleled awareness through effective radar tracking - at long range and in complex frequency environments. As a result, teams can identify and track drones across vast airspaces with a confidence previously unattainable.

Quicker response times

In situations where every moment is critical, acting quickly and with confidence is vital.

With drone detection solutions alerting teams to a drone’s presence as soon as possible, users can optimise response times to deploy responses sooner than ever before.

Unified, intuitive interfaces

Supporting agility in the face of potential threats, we know how important accessible tools are.

With centralised interfaces that streamline a wide range of sensors and data into a single view, we can quickly provide any user with the situational awareness they need. This intuitive approach removes potential barriers to entry, equipping sites of any size to strategically navigate their challenges.

An intuitive range of solutions

We’re on a mission to provide unparalleled situational intelligence to create safer spaces globally. We’re doing this by supplying teams with complete solutions and the consistent expertise needed to detect, monitor and proactively resolve threats.

To supply the most advanced and comprehensive level of intelligence possible, we integrate radio frequency technology, radar and imaging systems, and intuitive machine vision AI into one overall depiction of site and airspace security.

Our range of solutions includes:

Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS)

As a modular offering, our C-UAS services are readily deployable on-site – catering to the specific requirements and demands of your location. Granting access to enhanced intelligence, our they ensure that each and every site can secure their airspace.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our modular C-UAS offerings and discuss the needs of your specific site.

Drone Traffic Data Service

Using our Drone Traffic Data Service, users receive real-time alerts of drone activity in areas of service availability. For populated venues such as stadiums and plants, and events such as concerts, matches, and summits, real-time alerts can elevate the awareness of security teams for better overall visibility.

Visit our solutions page to learn more about our Drone Traffic Data Service.

FACE®

Developed completely in-house, FACE® is our world-leading intelligence platform. It’s designed to enable situational intelligence in some of the world’s most complex sites. Our intuitive tools are built to seamlessly integrate with other platforms and sensors, working across a range of security domains to support secure and accurate responses.

FACE® is used by some of the busiest transport hubs in the world to improve their time-to-response in the face of emerging drone challenges.

Creating safer spaces, globally

Providing the infrastructure, expertise and software needed to close the window of vulnerability, our range of drone detection and management applications can provide unparalleled C-UAS. With modular tools and ready-to-deeply systems, we offer to provide comprehensive capabilities for sites, regardless of prior expertise or complexity.

Contact us today to discuss our range of drone detection applications and how they can elevate the awareness of your security teams.