Thales PASTOR Multi-Sensor Counter-Piracy Solution for Commercial Vessels

Thales launches PASTOR counter-piracy service solution | Thales Group

Thales Unveils Unique Counter-Piracy Service Solution

• Four missions: 
• threat detection (radar), 
• identification (optronics), 
• deterrence (searchlight) and 
• protection measures in the event of an
  attack.
• Benefits: 
• enhanced protection for crew, 
• reduced risk of kidnapping &
  ransom situations, 
• lower costs associated with piracy 
• (insurance
  premiums, 
• theft of cargo, 
• route changes, 

At Euronaval 2014, Thales is unveiling PASTOR, a unique service solution to protect vessels against piracy. Primarily designed for shipping companies, this high-level services solution is based on a combination of early warning, prevention and deterrence systems.

PASTOR comprises detection (radar) and identification (gyrostabilised optronic system) functions to provide the vessel's security officer or onboard protection team with early warning of any potential piracy threat. It includes a powerful searchlight to act as a deterrent and ward off attackers. The solution includes intuitive data management software which automatically issues alerts and provides the relevant authorities with clear and simple information about an attack. An automated digital radio system enables vessels in the vicinity to identify each other. 

Euronaval: Thales launches Pastor anti-piracy solution - News - Shephard

Jean-Michel Negret, C4I product line manager for Thales, said the company had developed a new radar in the form of the Furuno-based NW10 radar – currently the only ‘civil radar designed to detect and track small targets at long range in high seas’.

Radar Alternatives are Available from Raymarine and Kelvin Hughes

details of the NW10 radar are not provided, but if this is a Magnetron type, its performance against small fast moving targets in heavy clutter is probably inferior to the SharpEye.

Kelvin Hughes SharpEye Solid-State Radar Systems | Marine Systems

SharpEye™ is a digital radar technology which is available both in X and S band frequencies. It is a radical and innovative departure from current marine navigation radar technology in that it has no magnetron and uses a coherent transmission, which means that SharpEye™ is able to separate targets from clutter due to their differing radial velocity components. This extra dimension gives a significant performance advantage in detecting small targets in clutter resulting in safer ship operations. 

Furuno and Raymarine Radar Systems | Yachting Magazine

These new digital high-definition radars are components of their manufacturers latest integrated multifunction navigation, NavNet 3D from Furuno and the G-Series Navigation System from Raymarine. Radar images can be displayed individually, in a split screen mode that provides the full functionality of having two complete radars on board, or overlaid on the navigation chart. The introduction of both of these comprehensive navigation systems marks a significant advance in the state of the art for this class of equipment.

The radar images on both the Furuno and Raymarine multifunction displays were clearly superior to their previous offerings. Both very small and quite massive targets were very sharply defined. The screens were remarkably free of sea clutter and other normally encountered intermittent interference. Both radars can be operated in a simultaneous dual-range mode, providing the functional advantage of two separate radars.

Other manufacturers, including Garmin, JRC and Northstar, have offered yacht radars that process the received signal digitally, however they have not yet achieved the level of performance or struck the spark of excitement that the combination of features incorporated in these new (and somewhat more costly) Furuno and Raymarine units are likely to create, especially when the advanced simultaneous dual-range features of these systems are viewed on their new NavNet 3D and G-Series chart plotter displays.

Raymarine Marine Radar Features

Pastor Threat Identification and Tracking

Once the radar has detected a potential threat, a gyro-stabilised EO/IR and camera system is used to make a positive identification and provide the vessel's security officer or onboard protection team with early warning.
The camera system includes a powerful searchlight to act as a deterrent while the supporting software includes data management that automatically issues alerts and provides the relevant authorities with information about an attack.

Pastor System Packaging

Thales is offering Pastor as a bronze, silver and gold service, with

• bronze including just the equipment;

• silver the addition of private security contractors; and

• gold the inclusion of a shore-based command centre.

The kit can be bought outright or leased from the company as a service with the latter costing less than €1000 a day.

Previously:

spendergast: Using Ground Surveillance Radar and Multiple Sensors for Airport Security
The PASTOR system seems to be similar in design to a system I designed and marketed when working for CACI back in 2006 based on the IMPASS airport security concept for security of ships such as supertankers, and large installations at sea such as drill platforms. It included automated target detection and sensor fusion, with remote monitoring from a global command center.