BAE UAV May Form Part of London Olympics Security
At last year's Farnborough International Air Show, a small pilotless aircraft nestled in among the more potent military hardware on show. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are largely the preserve of the military, with several different types now in service with the US Air Force. However, their manufacturers are now beginning to see their potential in other areas - including surveillance.
The aircraft on show at Farnborough last July was BAE Systems' new Herti, or High Endurance Rapid Technology Insertion, and interest is now being shown in it by the police.
The Kent Constabulary is keen on using the Herti in respect of patrolling parts of the English Channel, off the Kent coast. Acting as "an eye in the sky", it would be employed to combat smuggling and trafficking activities around sea ports such as Dover and Folkestone.
Additionally, the Metropolitan Police has shown interest in employing the Herti to patrol London when the Summer Olympics take place in five years time.
The Herti has already been deployed by UK armed forces in Afghanistan
Highlighting the virtues of the design, and its potential applications, the head of BAE's Homeland Security strand, Richard Williams stated: "There is a variety of different roles which Herti can be used in�.
He continued: "It is very early days but we are engaging with interested parties and have started to talk about how they can benefit from the technology we are developing at Warton (BAE's base located in Lancashire).
BAE Systems website describes the Herti as "a highly adaptable, fully autonomous, platform-based solution providing robust, cost-effective surveillance and reconnaissance capability to support a range of military and civil requirements."
The London Olympic Games will be held between July 27th and August 12th, 2012. Security International recently reported on the concerns raised that London's police force would be insufficient to handle the security element of the event.
Source - Security International's Current Affairs Reporter
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