Eclipse were honoured to lift the Security Project of the Year prize at the prestigious Security and Fire Excellence Awards 2021, our second national award in four years.
Following our Integrator of the Year award in 2018, this year’s winning submission to the judging panel focused on a CNI site.
In a successful debut collaboration with L3Harris and using multi-layered technology, Eclipse installed a unique C-UAV system into a facility in the north of the UK to provide detection and tracking of malicious activity by unmanned aerial systems.
Potential threats to the site, which is in a remote, waterside location, include drones being used to transport explosive devices, track military vehicles or access military data by using drones to look through windows and view computer screens.
State-of-the-art technology
The C-UAV system installed by Eclipse used state-of-the-art technology and a bespoke combination of different sensors to provide reliable detection and tracking, all integrated into the site’s existing security management system and control room.
The project, which took three months to complete, was anything but an ‘off the shelf’ installation and the site’s topology was a crucial consideration when selecting the CCTV, radar and RF technology used.
Including areas of dense woodland, it tested the team’s skills, ingenuity, and flexibility to the limit as both plant and engineers had to traverse inhospitable terrain to carry out the installation. The system must also be able to withstand a once in every 10,000 years wind.
Dr Mark Almond, tech director at Eclipse, ensured that our team was able to showcase a variety of relevant skills including problem-solving abilities and the application of cutting edge C-UAV technology.
Unique project
As this was such a unique project, the design had to be altered as the installation progressed, such as increasing the number of columns housing the C-UAV technology to further reinforce the area covered.
All staff involved in the project required the highest level security clearance and had to adhere to strict Covid secure guidelines and revised health and safety procedures.
Once the installation had been completed, independent site acceptance tests were conducted. Eclipse was able to calibrate and ensure the accuracy of the system through repetitive testing methodology.
Through the implementation of state-of-the-art and multiple technologies, Eclipse has been able to install a unique C-UAV system that effectively creates a protective bubble around the site as opposed to merely protecting its perimeter – the final piece of the puzzle in a holistic security solution.
Photo courtesy of Adam Clark.
