The Role of Unmanned Ocean Surface Vehicles for Maritime Security Applications in the FP7 PERSEUS Project

Abstract

The PERSEUS Project purpose (Protection of European BoRders and Seas trough the IntElligent Use of surveillance), is the protection of the European seas and its frontiers with the intelligent use of technology. This 4-years duration pilot project funded by the 7th Framework Program is becoming the flagship project in the field of maritime security. Leaded by INDRA, the consortium is formed by partners from 12 different EU-countries, most of them having maritime frontiers. PERSEUS attempts to answer the demand of a European integrated system for the frontiers control. The project goal is to develop and test a European system for maritime surveillance through the integration of the already existent local systems and its update and improvement using technological innovations, setting up the standards and bases for its final development. PERSEUS has included technological innovations in the areas of detection and analysis applied to maritime security, trying to become the first European-scale maritime surveillance system able to detect small ships and low-high flights. The overall technical and operational approach will pool multiple sensors, monitoring platforms and information sources, improving constantly with latest developments in detection, recognition and identification fields, where autonomous unmanned ocean vehicles (i.e. Waveglider) with specific and dedicated payload sensor configurations, will play a key role. The first PERSEUS demonstration event took place in Spain on the 24th September 2013. Further demonstration exercises will be developed by the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014.