Major Airfield

Challenge

The security of a major airfield located in a semi-urban environment was a complex task. The large length of the perimeter coupled with the presence of infrastructure, civilian housing and movement of people and vehicles next to the boundary wall both within the perimeter and outside the perimeter presented unique challenges. Further, the OFC system was required to be seamlessly integrated with other layers, with conditional priority accorded to each layer, to provide situational awareness to the user. In terms of scale and complexity, it was the first-of-its-kind project in the country.

Approach

The approach adopted for implementing the OFC solution was based on an extensive site survey, interaction with customers to understand their pain points and expectations from the security system. A team of experts was drawn out to draw up the overall strategy and implementation plan. Further, a team was deputed at the project site for the entire duration of the project to undertake incremental improvement in system performance. The key highlights of the solution implemented are as follows: -

An OFC based robust solution along the perimeter - An Optic Fibre-based sensor was installed along the perimeter of the base. The OFC was buried to function as a covert sensor in detecting events of interest.

Innovative solution to prevent entry through drains - The drain protection system was manufactured to prevent anyone from entering the perimeter by cutting, removing, or tampering with the drain grills.

Zone-based and Time-based strategies to ensure optimum detection levels - To cater to variations in geography around the sensors and movement of human and vehicular traffic at different times, zone-based, and time-based strategies were implemented. Similarly, to avoid alarms on drains caused by a regular flow of water, the sensitivities were adjusted in consultation with the client.

Allocating priority to events based on client’s input - As the system was one of the layers in the Integrated Security systems, the priorities for each event were allocated.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – AI and ML were used to acquaint the system with the environment and filter out nuisance alarms. Rigorous testing was undertaken at each section to collect signals.

Elaborate testing and fine-tuning of a solution - Extensive testing at every nook and corner of the large perimeter was conducting to fine-tune the solution.

Integration with other layers and database - A seamless integration was achieved with other components of the total solution.

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Results

The successful implementation of the OFC system, well-integrated with overall security infrastructure, in a complex environment. The system provides gap-free coverage and is easy to operate and maintain. The system has facilitated round the clock monitoring of the security of a large perimeter of a sensitive airbase. It has augmented the overall security. The professional approach of team ATHENA with relentless efforts on the ground to deliver an effective solution has been praised by the client.

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