Vietnam Defence Forum

[vtnsx]

from the picture, I assume it is about 20 cm thick, best of carbon and titan. but I read the car is very heavy (5-8 tons), so my Toyota has more chance in winning a race against the Cadillac despite it has a 1,000 PS engine, top speed 150 kmh

What is more interesting is the transmission of the beast. I'm very curious to know.

 

[Carlosa]

Body of pilot of Vietnam's missing fighter jet found

Thanh Nien News

Friday, June 17, 2016 22:39

The body of the second pilot of a Vietnamese Air Force fighter jet that went missing early this week has been recovered this evening, two days after the first pilot was rescued.

Fishermen participating in the rescue at 6 p.m. found the body and parachute floating about 15-18 nautical miles from the site where the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 is believed to have crashed.

A Coast Guard vessel was deployed to the site and confirmed that the body was that of Sen. Lt. Maj. Tran Quang Khai.

The jet went off radar during a training mission on Tuesday. One pilot, Maj. Nguyen Huu Cuong, was found the following day.

A file photo of pilot Tran Quang Khai, who is confirmed dead today after his aircraft went missing this week.

After being rescued, Cuong said that he and Khai managed to eject after they heard an "explosion" in the cockpit. As he was falling down, he could see Khai's parachute, Cuong said.

The search for Khai became deadly yesterday when another airplane crashed in bad weather. The plight of the nine crew members onboard the Coast Guard's Casa 212 plane is still unknown.

More than 40 vessels of the Coast Guard and Navy as well as about 100 fishing boats now continue to search for the missing crew. They found some debris and personal items early today.

Since the plane went down in the Gulf of Tonkin, between Vietnam's northern coastline and China's Hainan Island, Vietnam has requested China's assistance.

In response, China today sent ships to help find the missing plane, Vietnam's defense ministry said.

 

[BoQ77]

We still dont know the real reason for the Casa c212 went down.
let wait for it

 

[Carlosa]

Debris found after Vietnam Coast Guard plane crashes during rescue mission

Thanh Nien News

THAI BINH - Friday, June 17, 2016 10:44

• 

The red dot indicates the crash site of a Vietnamese coast guard plane June 16. Infographics by Zing

Vietnamese military rescue forces have found debris from a Coast Guard plane that crashed into the sea Thursday with nine people while searching for an Air Force pilot missing from another crashed aircraft a few days earlier.

The turboprop-powered plane went off the radar at around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, about 44 nautical mile southwest of Bach Long Vi Island in the Gulf of Tonkin, which separates the country from China.

A source told Thanh Nien that the debris was found in the waters 12-15 nautical miles southwest of Bach Long Vi Island. The crashed plane is believed to be at a depth of some 58 meters.
But the source refused to comment on the issue of the nine officers onboard the plane, which was piloted by Col. Le Kiem Toan, Commander of Brigade KQ918 of the air force.

Vietnam bought three CASA 212 planes from Airbus Military in Spain between 2012 and 2013.
Major General Nguyen Quang Dam, a Coast Guard commander, was quoted by news website VnExpress as saying preliminary investigation found the plane had crashed while descending due to poor weather.

Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh met with the Chinese ambassador Thursday night to ask for that country’s facilitation of the search and rescue operation.

The Coast Guard plane was among five aircraft that were joined by more than 100 boats and 1,500 people looking for Col Tran Quang Khai, 43, who has been missing since ejecting from a Sukhoi SU-30 MK2 fighter jet on Tuesday.

Nguyen Huu Cuong, the other pilot aboard the Russian-made plane, was rescued by fishermen Wednesday.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said the search has been expanded to the northern waters after what is suspected to be Khai’s life vest was found off Thai Binh Province.

A coast guard vessel reported on Thursday afternoon that it has found what could be parts of the fighter aircraft, including one wheel.

After the jet went missing, the Vietnamese air force has suspended the practice flights to be conducted by the same plane model.

The latest incidents follows a series of mishaps that hit the military in the past two years.

Two Soviet-era Su-22 fighter aircraft of the Vietnamese air force crashed into the East Sea during a training mission in April 2015. Both pilots died in the crash.

Two earlier crashes, which involved a Russian Mi-171 and US-built UH-1, killed 24 people.

We still dont know the real reason for the Casa c212 went down.
let wait for it

Welcome back.

 

[Carlosa]

Pieces found of Vietnam search plane carrying 9 people


June 17, 2016

The wreckage of a maritime patrol aircraft that went missing is seen on a maritime police vessel off the coast of northern port city of Hai Phong, Vietnam, Friday, June 17, 2016. Vietnamese rescuers have found some pieces belonging to a search plane that went missing with nine people aboard while attempting to locate a pilot from a crashed fighter jet, the military said Friday. (Hong Pha/Vietnam News Agency via AP)
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese rescuers have found pieces of a search plane that went missing with nine people aboard while attempting to locate a pilot from a crashed fighter jet, the military said Friday.

The pieces including wreckage with the logo of the search plane, a tire, a seat and personal belongings of crew members were discovered 20 nautical miles (23 miles or 37 kilometers) southeast of Bach Long Vi island and 3 nautical miles east of the demarcation line between Vietnam and China in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The plane lost contact with its command center early Thursday afternoon.

Online newspaper VnExpress reported that the body of the missing fighter jet pilot, Lt. Col. Tran Quang Khai, was found Friday afternoon by a fisherman off the coast of the northern province of Thanh Hoa. It said the body was found wrapped in a parachute.

One other pilot from the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 jet fighter, which crashed Tuesday on a training flight, was rescued by a fishing boat on Wednesday.

About 1,500 personnel were sent to search for the pilot.

Reports said bad weather may have been responsible for the crash of the search plane. VnExpress quoted Maj. Gen. Nguyen Quang Dam, commander of maritime police, as saying the crew had asked to descend to a lower altitude because of the weather.

Officials were not available for comment Friday.

The crashes were the latest in a string of accidents to hit the military. At least two crashes of military helicopters in the past two years have killed 24 people.

 

[Viet]

The C-212 went down in bad weather and low visibility.

If there is a thing we can learn from the desaster is we need more and better search aircraft. Small airplane as C212 is not suitable for harsh weather, not to mention flying too slow for a large search area.

 

[Carlosa]

It's not clear exactly how bad things could get in the South China Sea
http://uk.businessinsider.com/analy...-in-south-china-sea-2016-6?yptr=yahoo&ref=yfp

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) attends a press conference with Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang at the Presidential Palace Compound in Hanoi, Vietnam May 23, 2016. Reuters/Carlos Barria

The tensions in the South China Sea took a new twist last month when Washington and Hanoi forged closer military ties during US President Barack Obama's three-day visit to Vietnam.

Obama's decision to end a decades-old embargo on arms sales to Vietnam looks set to accelerate an already intense arms race in Southeast Asia and further complicate the situation in the South China Sea, analysts say.

Although Obama insisted the move was not aimed at China and new Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pledged not to pursue militarization, all signs seem to point to the contrary.

Analysts say the US and Southeast Asian nations appear keen to gain leverage to counter China's assertive diplomatic and military posture ahead of a key international court ruling on China's expansive claims to the disputed waters.

Shanghai-based military expert Ni Lexiong said defence ties between the US and former foe Vietnam were thawing at a sensitive time in the long-standing territorial disputes in the hotly contested waters. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague is expected to hand down rulings within weeks on a case brought by the Philippines against China.

"It opens the door to closer military cooperation between the US and Vietnam and will bolster Vietnam's capacity to challenge China in the South China Sea," he said. "The highly symbolic step is part of Washington's strategy to beef up its coalition across the Pacific and Indian Oceans against China."

Professor Huang Jing, a Sino-US relations specialist at the National University of Singapore, said revoking the ban on arms sales was another pivotal move by the US to enlist Vietnam and tilt the balance of power in the region towards Washington.

"All signs show that Vietnam is also playing a diplomatic balancing act between China and the US," he said. "It tries to use its tensions with China to gain support from the US and use its warming ties with the US to gain leverage in its future dealings with China."

Analysts are concerned that maritime disputes have led to the escalation of an arms race in the region, driving China and rival claimants, including Vietnam and the Philippines, to invest heavily in naval and air forces to help defend their competing claims.

An aerial photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on mischief reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Ritchie B. Tongo

A recent study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute revealed a sizeable military build-up in the region over the past few years amid heightened tensions. While the Philippines is weighing up whether to invest in its first submarine fleet, Vietnam has become one of the world's most active arms importers, with imports growing 699 per cent between 2011 and last year, when they accounted for roughly 3 per cent of global arms purchases.

Some analysts say the international tribunal's ruling, widely expected to go against China, is likely to encourage other rival claimants, such as Vietnam, to follow the example of the Philippines and take their overlapping claims to the tribunal.

Daniel Chua, a Southeast Asian diplomacy expert at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said other nations looked set to use a similar strategy to counter China's passive aggression in the maritime disputes.

Apparently that's something Beijing also worries about. Xu Hong, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's treaty and law department, warned at a briefing last month that if other nations followed the example of the Philippines, "it could open a Pandora's box of similar abusive lawsuits" and pose a grave danger to international maritime order.

But Huang said Vietnam was unlikely to take its claims to the Permanent Court of Arbitration because it had its own territorial disputes with the Philippines. "The last thing Vietnam wants is the Philippines using the international court to settle their dispute," he said. "And more importantly, if Vietnam brings the case ... its relations with China will reach the point of no return. Neither Beijing nor Hanoi want to burn their bridges."

Some analysts even express concern that the impending tribunal ruling may further exacerbate animosity and tensions between China and its Asian neighbors, despite their close trade ties, and push their standoff towards a final showdown. Even more worryingly, amid signs of growing strategic rivalry, they note that China and the US are obsessed with muscle-flexing while accusing each other of provocations and fanning tensions.

Several analysts also say China's unrestrained use of its military and economic power contradicts its promise of a peaceful rise.

The South China Sea was now a field full of contention and possible clashes, said Professor Kerry Brown, a Chinese studies specialist at King's College in London.

"It is a question of just how far China thinks it can push things without there being escalation," he said. "That depends on how well they read the commitment of the US and how much they understand where the bottom line is. They could easily misjudge that."

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an arrival ceremony at the White House in Washington Sept. 25, 2015. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

While major conflicts are highly unlikely, with both China and the US wary of direct conflict, analysts say the possibility of mishaps and minor accidents, especially scuffles involving fishing ships, cannot be ruled out.

"For example, if the PCA decision finds in favor of the right of Philippine fishermen to fish near Scarborough Shoal and the Philippine government sends navy ships to enforce the ruling, that could provoke a Chinese response and a possible skirmish," said Dr Bonnie Glaser, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. A small-scale conflict was also possible if China again tried to drill for oil or gas in Vietnam's claimed exclusive economic zone.

Jay Batongbacal, a maritime law expert at the University of the Philippines, said a worst-case scenario between the Philippines and China would include some kind of incident at sea that had the potential to escalate, given China's maritime ambitions and assertive behavior in reclaiming islands and ramping up military patrols.

Chua recalled that China fought Vietnam in the Paracels in the 1970s, and almost came to blows with the Philippines in the Spratlys in the mid-1990s and 2012. "The worst case scenario is really difficult to determine," he said.

But Dai Bingguo, a former Chinese State Councilor, said in a speech in March that he was confident that the so-called "Thucydides Trap", the rivalry between a rising power and the ruling power, was not "an insurmountable, iron-clad law". He said China and the US would be able to guarantee there would be no conflicts between them. "We cannot forge a cold war, let alone forge a hot war," he said.

Zhu Zhiqun, of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said the tensions were unlikely to escalate further as neither China nor the US wanted confrontation in the South China Sea.

"I think both the US and China have done enough posturing to satisfy their allies and domestic audiences respectively," he said. "They will both want to lower the temperature [through bilateral and multilateral platforms]."

Huang said tensions were unlikely to go away any time soon and a minor, accidental conflict was still possible, so it remained to be seen if China and the US could set aside their differences and join hands in controlling the situation.

"Crisis management does not necessarily mean averting a crisis," he said. "Rather, it is more about the ability to minimize the risk of escalation in the event of a crisis."

 

[Indos]

If there is a thing we can learn from the desaster is we need more and better search aircraft. Small airplane as C212 is not suitable for harsh weather, not to mention flying too slow for a large search area.

Yup, you are right, but the plane should not fly if the weather is too bad, so it might be the violation of operational standard of operation that might happened.

When our plane (Air Asia) went missing in Java waters some time ago, we use our CN 235 MPA, during that time the weather is also not really nice.

 

[Thao Nguyen]

Yup, you are right, but the plane should not fly if the weather is too bad, so it might be the violation of operational standard of operation that might happened.

When our plane (Air Asia) went missing in Java waters some time ago, we use our CN 235 MPA, during that time the weather is also not really nice.

operating in bad weather still be a big problem, even for big plane, bro

 

[Indos]

operating in bad weather still be a big problem, even for big plane, bro

Yup, I know it, actually our Navy has many C 212, but as far as I know they only use CN 235 MPA in the area where the plane last captured from radar (bad weather). It might tell something though.

 

[Viet]

Yup, I know it, actually our Navy has many C 212, but as far as I know they only use CN 235 MPA in the area where the plane last captured from radar (bad weather). It might tell something though.

True. It is a question of having the right tool. We can't hope nor wait for good weather. VN clearly needs long range search aircraft that can withstand harsh weather condition, capable flying through storms. We cannot afford to loose people and aircrafts because too late and incapable air assets.

 

[Nike]

Vietnam also lacks proper long range and high endurance SAR boats like this

notes, i am talking about SAR boats not Offshore patrol vessels, as SAR boats had different utility and tools to make them though and capable to salvage and conduct rescue operations

 

[Viet]

a fleet of Viking DH-6 aircraft are among the search aircraft deployed to look for the doomed Su-30.

...and one of the Viking DC-6 spotted the doomed C-212 airplane (on picture) 30 minutes before it disappeared from the radar screens. when the DC-6 returned, it could not find the C-212, and had to return to the base when fuel running out. that is the problem, we lack of long range all-weather search aircraft.

 

[jhungary]

Meet the girl, who drives the Cadillac One during the State visit of Barack Obama to Vietnam: a 26-year old Natalie Tyson. the armored limousine is reportedly said capable to withstand rapid fire of small calibre rifles, RPGs and gas attacks.

She is a member of United States Secret Service Agent.........You can see her Sig226 in one of the picture........

If there is a thing we can learn from the desaster is we need more and better search aircraft. Small airplane as C212 is not suitable for harsh weather, not to mention flying too slow for a large search area.

You don't need a bigger plane, you need planes that better equip.

C212 is good enough for SAR operation, but you have to expect the mission to be on all-weather mode. Which means you will need specific planes to carry the SAR duty.

Further info to follow

Yup, you are right, but the plane should not fly if the weather is too bad, so it might be the violation of operational standard of operation that might happened.

When our plane (Air Asia) went missing in Java waters some time ago, we use our CN 235 MPA, during that time the weather is also not really nice.

In the US Navy, we uses helicopter exclusively to carry out SAR operation, it is not a matter of big airplane, but what did you load up on your aircraft.

We have a specific modified range of Aircraft to serve the SAR role in both US Navy and US Coast Guard, the upgrade included all IFR package, Forward Looking Infrared, ground search radar, proximity radar, and also weather radar. A crew is dedicated and train to perform in all-weather situation, which means that it does not matter how bad the weather is, the SAR operation can continue even when visibility drop to zero.

In fact, many of USCG rescue perform in Bering Seas (Which is one of the toughest area in the world) were carried out by HH-60 Jayhawk.

US Navy MH-60S - SAR

USCG HC-130H

USCG - HH60H

Traditionally, Fixed Wing Aircraft (Such as C-212 or C-130) are only there for support roles aircraft, Not familiar with how Vietnam CG uses their C-212, in the USCG, C-130 is a primarily a search aircraft, which equipped with radar and sensor to pick up the survior's beacon and then further to pinpoint the survivor position by dropping flare as well as advance survival equipment (Raft, Survivor Pack and so on), then they are put on station and radio in either closest Helicopter or Ship to pick up the survivor.

 

[Carlosa]

She is a member of United States Secret Service Agent.........You can see her Sig226 in one of the picture........



You don't need a bigger plane, you need planes that better equip.

C212 is good enough for SAR operation, but you have to expect the mission to be on all-weather mode. Which means you will need specific planes to carry the SAR duty.

Further info to follow



In the US Navy, we uses helicopter exclusively to carry out SAR operation, it is not a matter of big airplane, but what did you load up on your aircraft.

We have a specific modified range of Aircraft to serve the SAR role in both US Navy and US Coast Guard, the upgrade included all IFR package, Forward Looking Infrared, ground search radar, proximity radar, and also weather radar. A crew is dedicated and train to perform in all-weather situation, which means that it does not matter how bad the weather is, the SAR operation can continue even when visibility drop to zero.

In fact, many of USCG rescue perform in Bering Seas (Which is one of the toughest area in the world) were carried out by HH-60 Jayhawk.

US Navy MH-60S - SAR

View attachment 311430

USCG HC-130H

View attachment 311431

USCG - HH60H

View attachment 311429

Traditionally, Fixed Wing Aircraft (Such as C-212 or C-130) are only there for support roles aircraft, Not familiar with how Vietnam CG uses their C-212, in the USCG, C-130 is a primarily a search aircraft, which equipped with radar and sensor to pick up the survior's beacon and then further to pinpoint the survivor position by dropping flare as well as advance survival equipment (Raft, Survivor Pack and so on), then they are put on station and radio in either closest Helicopter or Ship to pick up the survivor.

Actually, the C-212-400 is the right aircraft for the job since it is a maritime patrol aircraft that has a sophisticated package for the MP role (read below), it can also operate in all weather conditions and at night. Need to get a more clear picture about the cause of the accident, but still, even an all weather aircraft can go down under the right circumstances. Range is another story, a bigger aircraft would be better for longer range, but still, On a typical mission, a C-212-400 can fly for up to six and a half hours in all weathers and in darkness at a speed of 180 knots, covering a total linear distance of 1,170 nm and monitoring an area of 117,000 sq nm.


Vietnam Marine Police has launched a fleet of Casa-212 aircraft to monitor vessels in coastal areas, detect oil spills and coordinate rescue activities.

These CASA C212-400 are being used to perform coastal patrol duties. Previously, Vietnam has sent pilots to Seville, Spain to receive pilot training.

The Casa 212-400 aircraft is the latest version of the C212 model manufactured by Airbus. The plane accommodates a crew of three and can be used for long patrol journeys. The aircraft can transport 24 soldiers or a cabin load of 2.7 tons, in addition, it is also equipped with two hard points, can carry guided missiles and unguided rockets, for a total weapons payload of 500 kg.

A Casa 212-400 is 16.1 meters long, 6.5 meters tall, and has a wingspan of 20.2 meters. The plane can fly at a maximum speed of 370 kph, with a range of 1,800 km.

The plane is also equipped with a MSS-6000 airborne maritime surveillance system which is made in Sweden.

The core of the MSS-6000 is a mission management system that links all available information together and presents a situation overview to the operator for interpretation and further action. The mission management system is based on GIS (Geographical Information System) technology, and the available information is presented against a backdrop of a digital nautical chart.

These aircraft in the service to Vietnam will not only enhance the surveillance capabilities of the sea, it will also have a certain airborne early warning capability.

The Casa-212 can operate during the day and at night and in all weather conditions. It can take off and land at makeshift airports with short, narrow runways.

Equipped with two propeller turbine engines, the aircraft can fly at very low altitude, making it ideal for patrolling and identifying vessels at sea, spotting oil spills, and conducting rescue missions.

MSS 6000 Maritime surveillance system to support oil spill, rescue operations in Vietnamese waters

Demand is growing for Swedish Space Corp.’s MSS 6000 maritime surveillance system. In addition to several orders already on the company’s books, SSC announced a contract from a customer in Vietnam in July – its first delivery to a Far East customer. Last month it clinched a further sale of two systems to an as yet unnamed customer.

“You can see how demand has grown if I tell you that 60% of all systems we have sold were in the last third of our active period,” says SSC’s Crister Colliander. “Our order-book is now full for this year and 2009, and partly so for 2010 and 2011.”

The Vietnamese contract comes from the Vietnam Marine Police, which has ordered systems for installation on three new CASA C212-400 aircraft – a project that takes three years to complete. The contract has an extensive scope, including installation and testing of the systems in the aircraft, establishment of a ground station and mission command center, and operational and technical training of personnel.

SSC will supply a fully integrated MSS 6000 system, including SLAR (side-looking airborne radar), still and video cameras, airborne AIS (automatic identification system for ships), an IR/UV (infra-red/ultra-violet) line scanner, an FLIR (forward-looking infra-red) scanner, and communications via high-speed satellite data-link and HF (high frequency) radio.

The customer will use the equipment for patrolling Vietnamese waters, detecting and responding to oil spills and illegal fishing activities, protecting the economic zone, and participating in search-and-rescue operations.

The MSS 6000 provides an effective means to monitor activities in national waters and to detect unwanted or illegal events, such as oil pollution, whether accidental or deliberate, and unauthorized fishing. The technology can also be applied to monitoring movement of ice, likely to become increasingly important as offshore oil and gas operations spread to arctic regions.

Data from the different sensors is processed, integrated, and presented in one integrated view to the operator. All recordings are annotated with GPS data and digitally stored in an on-board geographical database. Data and digital images are presented integrated with an electronic nautical chart data base and also correlated with the mission report, all at the operator’s finger-tips. All information from the mission is saved and can be compiled in mission reports and sent via the satellite data-link to a command center and/or cooperating units.

A search radar can be added to the system for general surveillance. The MSS 6000 is designed to interface to a forward looking or 360 degrees search radar for importing target tracks into the tactical map database.

Since the technology was first launched in the 1970s, its capabilities have continually expanded. “With the MSS 5000, which we launched in the 1990s, we were able to do things we could only dream of in the 1970s,” says Colliander. “The MSS 6000 does things we didn’t even dream of.

“We can safely say that we give a better performance than military surveillance systems at a fraction of the cost. We’re now exploring what the advent of broadband communications enables us to do. We’ve put a lot of effort into developing software for the man/machine interface. We have kept the system user-friendly and intuitive: one operator can handle it all.”

One of the MSS 6000’s capabilities is to read a ship’s name at a distance of 10 nautical miles in the middle of the night. This makes it an important weapon in combating illegal fishing – cheating occurs frequently with the transponders on fishing vessels, so being able covertly to read ships’ names provides an important means of checking their true identity.

Arctic reconnaissance

SSC is currently supplying an order for one MSS 6000 system to Transport Canada, a long-time customer. This, the agency’s third system, will be installed in a Dash-7 plane to be based in the north of the country to provide arctic aerial reconnaissance during the arctic navigation season, switch- ing to the Great Lakes during the winter months. The previous two systems are installed in Dash-8 aircraft operating off the east and west coasts.

On a typical mission, Transport Canada’s planes fly for up to six and a half hours in all weathers and in darkness at a speed of 180 knots, covering a total linear distance of 1,170 nm and monitoring an area of 117,000 sq nm. The SLAR is capable of identifying both oil pollution and ice conditions up to 10-15 nm either side of the aircraft, and icebergs and other targets such as larger ships up to 40 nm.

SLAR

The Side Looking Airborne Radar

The main sensor of the MSS is the Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR): a mapping radar for surveillance of large sea surfaces.

The forward motion of the aircraft is utilized by the radar to scan the sea surface perpendicular to the flight track, see figure below.

Whereas a traditional radar typically obtains less than twenty echoes per radar scan from each target, the SLAR obtains up to a thousand. This gives a very high capacity for detecting small targets as well as for showing sea surface properties. Oil floating on the sea surface has a dampening effect on the sea clutter (capillary waves) resulting in less radar return to the aircraft from an oil slick than from the surrounding, undisturbed water surface, and this contrast is clearly visible in the SLAR image.

Objects with higher reflectivity to radar pulses than the sea surface will instead give a more intense radar return, and the resulting image will therefore show not only oil spills but also ships, boats and other small objects against a background picture of the sea surface.

Thus the SLAR is the ideal sensor for large area surveillance for both oils pollution and very small vessels, target types that are difficult at best, and often impossible, to detect with traditional radar technology.

The SLAR is a day and night sensor. It can be operated under all weather conditions.

MSS 6000 provides for GPS accuracy in positioning the SLAR image and will present the image either superimposed on a backdrop digital chart or display it as a traditional "scrolling waterfall".

IR/UV SCANNER

The Infrared/Ultraviolet (IR/UV) Line Scanner is used to obtain high resolution imagery of ship wakes, accident sites etc. It is ideal for mapping oil spills and other types of pollution, as well as other types of hydrological phenomena such as upwelling warmer/colder water .

The Infrared/Ultraviolet (IR/UV) Line Scanner is used to obtain high resolution imagery of accident sites etc. It is capable of observing minute temperature differences on the water surface and is ideal for mapping oil spills and other types of pollution, as well as other types of hydrological phenomena such as upwelling warmer/colder water .

The IR/UV scanner, operating in the 8.5-12.5µm region (IR) and in the 0.32-0.38 µm region (UV), provides high resolution imagery of oil spills and other features on the surface. IR data can be obtained both day and night providing information on the spreading of oil and also indicating the relative oil thickness within the oil slick. Usually 80% of the oil is concentrated within less than 20% of the visual oil slick. By using the IR information, the efficiency of clean-up operations can be greatly improved.

UV data is obtained during daylight conditions, and is primarily used to map the entire extent of an oil slick, irrespective of thickness. The UV data adds confidence to the IR registration by distinguishing between natural thermal phenomena, such as cold upwelling water, from suspected oil pollution. It also assists an on-scene commander in determining the location of the thicker parts an oil spill, thus adding to the efficiency of the clean-up operation.

The MSS 6000 will infterface to any IR/UV line scanner on the market. The picture shows the Argon ST (formerly Daedalus) 1221 IR/UV scanner.

MSS 6000 provides for GPS accuracy and the capability to either superimpose the IR and UV images on a backdrop digital chart or to display the images as a traditional "scrolling waterfall".

The information from the aircraft can be used as input to oil drift modelling, thus further enhancing the aircraft as an asset in your oil spill contingency planning.

SSC CAMERA AND VIDEO CAMERA

The MSS 6000 still and video cameras provide digital imagery and video documentation. Each frame is annotated with relevant mission information for future, tamper-free reference. The built-in DGPS system provides accurate and consistent annotation of all MSS 6000 observations.

The MSS 6000 assists the operator in keeping track of all exposures made with the still camera and video sequence registered with the video camera by logging the time and position of each exposure and displaying this information in a selectable digital map overlay. Imagery and other information are linked to the geographical position and to the operator's comment, thus creating a comprehensive folder of data to document an observed activity on the sea surface.

Video recordings can be made from the FLIR(Forward Looking Infrared) as well as from the handheld video camera to allow close-up documentation of activities on the sea surface. The video is stored digitally and can be reviewed either in the aircraft or on the ground. Video sequences or selected frames can also be transmitted over the data link.

AIS - AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

A (normally silent) airborne AIS transponder is integrated with the MSS 6000 system.

The AIS receives identity information from all transponder equipped ships with VHF distance in the patrol area. Live AIS information is displayed on the MSS 6000 map display and logged in the built-in target database. The possibility for the operator to immediatly compare AIS information with target information acquired from other sensors, will greatly facilitate the control of all sea surface activities within the patrol area.

FLIR /EO-SENSOR

Forward Looking Infrared-/Electro-Optical Sensor

A FLIR is an indispensable supplementary sensor for most mission profiles. It will add day and night identification and documentation capability to complement the information gathered from other on-board or external sources.

The FLIR is integrated into the surveillance system. Imagery from the FLIR is annotated and stored together with the all other mission data. The FLIR can also be slaved to any target position or geographical reference in the MSS 6000 database as selected by the operator, thus facilitating the sorting and identification of targets detected by other means.
Most FLIRs in the market can be integrated to the MSS 6000 system. The pictures show the Wescam MX-16 gyro estabilised sensor,the FLIR systems, the EuroFLIR 350 and the Star Q sensor.

MWR - THE MICROWAVE RADIOMETER

If oil pollution control is one of your main missions, the Microwave Radiometer may provide valuable information to assist in the combating effort.

The SLAR will map the area of the oil slick. Once the slick is detected, the extension and distribution of the oil within the slick is assessed with the IR/UV scanner.Examples of Infrared and Microwave Radiometer registrations
of an oil spill.

LFS - LASER FLOUROSENSOR

If pollution control is one of your main missions, the Laser Fluorosensor System may provide valuable information to assist in the combating effort.

The SLAR will detect and map the extent of an oil spill on the sea surface. Once the slick is detected, the extension and distribution of the oil within the slick is assessed with the IR/UV scanner. The Microwave Radiometer will measure the thickness and thusgive a better estimate of the volume of the spill.The Laser Fluorosensor can be said to take a "finger print" of some of the properties of the surface beneath the aircraft

A deeper analysis of the oil pollution is achieved from the Laser Fluorosensor. Its sensitivity to very thin oil films on the water surface, makes this sensor an interesting addition to the sensor package. Apart from the pollution related applications this instrument can also be used for hydrographical measurements and for algae monitoring.

The LFS-light can assist the operator in distinguishing between oil and other substances and to analyze the optical signature of different oil types which has been assembled from a catalogue of the optical properties of different oils from laboratory investigations.

On request a laser fluorosensor can be integrated into the MSS 6000 system.

ATCOM - SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

For real-time in-flight data communication a SATCOM system is integrated with the MSS. With a high-speed SATCOM link the mission report with images and tactical map snapshots captured during the mission can be delivered while in the air or by e-mail or mobile phone after landing. With a low-speed SATCOM link only short messages with information of position and properties of observed activities on the sea surface will be delivered while in the air and mission report and pictures will follow by e-mail or mobile phone data transferred after landing. The recorded mission can also be replayed after landing in the aircraft or on a ground station.

High-speed satellite communications is integrated in the MSS 6000 system for real-time information to other units in the surveillance operation.

VMS - VESSEL MONITORING SYSTEM

The integrated Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) functionality provides a possibility to upload information on fishing vessels from the national fisheries authority to be accessed together with other mission data.

DF - DIRECTION FINDER

The Direction Finder (DF) functionality provides direction information on radio transmitters, including the 406 MHz emergency frequency and decoding of COSPAS/SARSAT data.