BEL to enhance Indian coastal surveillance system

Bengaluru, Feb 10 (IANS) The state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) would strengthen the coastal surveillance system for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to heighten the country's maritime security, an official said on Monday.

"The coastal surveillance system will be enhanced with 38 more radar stations and 5 command and control centres along the coastline for the ICG to step-up maritime security," an official of the city-based defence enterprise told IANS here.

India has a 7,520-km long coastline off the Bay of Bengal in the east, Arabian Sea in the west and Indian Ocean in the south.

The defence company had set up in 2015 on turnkey basis under phase-one 46 radar stations and 16 command and control centres along the coast line to track movement of ships and fishing boats plying in the Indian waters in the aftermath of the terror attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

"Under phase-two, for which we have signed a contract with the defence ministry at the Defexpo 2020 in Lucknow last week, the surveillance system or chain of static sensors will also cover Lakshadweep in the west and Andaman and Nicobar islands in the east," said the official.

The coastal surveillance system (CSS) comprises a network of remote radar stations with sensors, electro optics, meteorological and VHF (very high frequency) radio communication units integrated with the command and control centres.

"The coastal surveillance software will be customised to meet the operational requirements of the ICG and the maritime security personnel," said the official.

The data from the radar stations at the command and control centres are correlated, processed, integrated and displayed in real time on a common operation pictured display for surveillance operations.