SIID - R&D Business - Co-promotion Operations

CISGUARD

PROJECT NAME

CISGUARD - Critical Infrastructures Guardian

Synopsis Planet - Advance Engineering, Lda [SP]
Swatter Company, Lda. [SC]
Beyond Vision - Sistemas Móveis Autónomos de Realidade Aumentada, Lda [BV]
Instituto de Telecomunicações [IT]
Ministério da Defesa Nacional - Marinha (Centro de Investigação Naval) [CINAV]
Estado Maior do Exército (Centro de Investigação e Inovação da Academia Militar) [CINAMIL]

Operation Sheet

The increase popularity of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), driven by the easy access and amateur construction transformed what was once an hobby to a potential threat to critical infrastructures. The CISGUARD project comes with the objective of developing a C-UAS(Counter-unmanned Aerial System) system for civil use, low cost, modular, portable and highly effective to protect these infrastructures and obeys to the current national norm and European. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the number of UAVs produced will increase from 2 million units in 2021 to 6.5 million in 2030. With this brought a new challenge: the vulnerability of essential installations, since an UAV can fly over physical barriers and create significant disruptions, for instance, non authorized intrusions in prisons, airports and energy generating centers, water treatment centers, military infrastructures, and so on. The consciousness to this problem was recently more aggravated due to the increase geopolitical instability and the war in Ukraine, which turned more visible the vitality of these infrastructures for normal functionality of modern societies.

EXISTING C-UAS

Company	Product	Country	Reference
Lookheed Martin	Morfius	EUA	Ref.
General Dynamics	Dedrone	EUA	Ref.
MSI-Defence Systems	Terrahawk Paladin	UK	Ref.
Thales Group	EagleShield	France	Ref.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems	Drone Dome	Israel	Ref.
INDRA	Crow	Spain	Ref.
Leonardo	FalconShield	Italy	Ref.
Rheinmetall AG	Drone Defence Toolbox	Germany	Ref.

This analyses revealed a diverse range of solutions to threat detection, target classification, tracing and threat mitigation (countermeasures). In the detection and trace phase, majority of the manufacturers present a combination of radar technologies and passive image sensing technologies. On the other hand, few incorporate acoustic sensors, or at least, their presence in their specifications is not clear. Active optic systems like LiDAR, used in other applications (e.g. autonomous robotics and topography), normally aren’t included in C-UAS technologies, despite their capacity to rapidly provide target range, azimuth and target elevation.

The search for C-UAS tailor-made solutions for the civil sector is rapidly growing. These solutions should be more accessible, easy to use and operate, apart from attending to the specific necessities of each critical infrastructure. Apart from technical and financial barriers, other factors push this development necessity of new civil C-UAS systems, for example:

Legal framework: The legislation about the use of UAVs and C-UAS system is still incipient in a lot of countries, which create uncertainties and complicates the implementation of effective solutions.
Risks of Interference: The possibility of electromagnetic interference in adjacent systems, like communications and navigation, demand C-UAS solutions carefully projected to minimize these risks.
Ethic Questions: The use of C-UAS technologies brings ethic questions about privacy, vigilance and strength use, which need to be addressed in a transparent and responsible way.

CISGUARD PROPOSAL

The CISGUARD project proposes to overcome these challenges previously listed by developing a civil C-UAS system low-cost, modular, portable and highly effective, that takes in account the compliance of the current normative national framework and European in protection of Critical Infrastructures. In order to evaluate the quality of the current project, a few of the important features are shown below.

Reduction of sell and maintenance costs

Current similar systems to CISGUARD are evaluated for costs superior to 1M€ and maintenance year tax around 75% of the purchase value. CISGUARD intends to reduce both selling price and maintenance cost by 50% and 80% respectively. (20% relative importance)

National production, European product chain

Currently it’s not produced in Portugal these types of technologies and existing systems at a European level depend strongly on Asian and American supply chains, making the systems not adapt to European legislation. The objective of CISGUARD is that 75% of the components should be exclusively provided by the European market, turning it into a European product and regulated exclusively with its politics.(10% relative importance)

Development of a rangefinder with Sensor of 4 quadrants and microchip laser technology

Non existent in current market. The goal is to incorporate in the issuing part of the rangefinder a microchip laser technology which will allow tracking of UAVs. This ragefinder is in it's final development phase in Synopsis Planet. (20% relative importance)

Innovation in detection, tracking and identification algorithms

Existent, but it's in need of optimizations. In consideration of operation conditions of CISGUARD, the goal is to generate a new system apt to proceed in the detection, identification and tracking in the conditions demanded by the data collection and type of information of the various CISGUARD subsystems. (15% relative importance)

Integration of a monitoring spectral system of strategic wake-up with FMCW radar

Exists, but needs optimization. By integrating this system with a FMCW 360º radar to achieve a pre-detection, tracking and identification of UAVs, this combination of technologies will allow to provide the optic system information that can be used for an efficient tracking and a rapid response to threats. (20% relative importance)

Development of countermeasures against UAVs based on wireless energy transmissions

Also exists, but needs optimization. CISGURD’s objective is to integrate Non-Kinetic RF technics and energy directed to developing a UAV countermeasure system. Creation of effective methods of spoofing GPS signal and overcharge electromagnetic solutions that utilize RF signals of high power to deactivate UAVs. (15% relative importance)

SOLUTION

CISGUARD in order to achieve these goals, It was outlined a strategy established in 4 pillars that will drive to the success of this project.

The first pilar is the innovation and technology differentiation of the presented solution. The CISGUARD system will be composed by a combination of 4 subsystems:

Detection Subsystem
Precise tracking and detection subsystem
Countermeasure subsystem
Monitor Station

This system presents a combination of various technological innovations and differentiators that makes it stand out in comparison to current commercial systems and it allows it to offer a quick, precise and scalable response to UAVs threats and with a potential of positioning Portugal on the vanguard of security technologies innovation.

Advanced detection system

Combination of radar and visible cameras at long distance (up to 5km) allows for a more effective detection, removing false positives and increasing precision.

Thin tracking with multiple sensors

The system with laser track, combined with zoom cameras, infra-red and a rangefinder offers a highly precise and detailed monitorization of the UAV. The assembly in a pan tilt allows monitoring the target in various directions, granting the effectiveness even in complex maneuvers, controlled dynamically by the innovated integration of a 4-quadrant sensor working in a closed loop.

Detection ability and swarm tracking

The integration of multiple cameras working in the visible and infra-red spectrum, allows a comprehensive and detailed monitorization of the environment.

Versatile countermeasures

The countermeasure system offers 2 options: Radio Frequency(RF) interference to block command and control signals(Jamming), and a system of directed energy via microwaves to damage the electronics of the UAV in cases of Jamming not being effective.

Integration and effectiveness

The assembly of the directed energy system in the same pan tilt of the thin tracking system, alongside with the rangefinder alignment, grants the energy efficiency and minimizes the impact and electromagnetic interference in adjacent systems.

The second pilar concerns the formation of a multidiscipline consortium comprehended by:

PMEs highly technological like Synopsis Planet, Swatter Company and Beyond-Vision bring expertise in sensors, AI and object detection, countermeasure systems and UAV technologies for the CISGUARD system development. SINUTA S.A., with experience in the development of Microelectronics, system engineering, product engineering and its installed high industrial ability, grants a risk reduction in the development, future access to industrial means and the subsequence economic value of the product.

Public ENESII like the case of Centro de Investigação da Marinha e do Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação da Academia Militar, which they confer to the Consortium the access to adequate infrastructures for the execution of tests like the Military Camp of Santa Margarida and the Zona Livre Tecnológica Infant D. Henrique, a possibility of participation in test exercises like the case of REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems). Apart from that, this institutions of military caliber endow the consortium to a unique knowledge in a national level in the C-UAS system operations.

Private ENESII like the case of Instituto de Telecomunicações, which grants the access to a pool of Experts of international renown and Know-How proven in the development of wireless RF technologies, in this case of radars and energy transmission via electromagnetic pulses.

The Third Pillar

is related to the strategy adopted by the consortium to overcome the legal limitations that restrict the use of these systems. For this, this project predicts an exhaustive survey during the entire project’s duration of the legislation and the Portuguese and European normative system. This task will allow to mark the development’s requirements so that the technology can meet the legal framework uses of C-UAS. Apart from that, the consortium will integrate in the organization structure of the project an advisory council constituted by representatives of the national authorities( Autoridade Aeronáutica Nacional, Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil e a Autoridade Marítima Nacional and some of the main national operators of Critical Infrastructures (GALP, REN).

The Forth Pillar

contributing to the project’s success is an economic value strategy of CISGUARD based on the system’s low cost, diversification of recipe fonts and potentiality of technology abilities of companies from the consortium.

#	Activity Name	Promotor
1	Management	SI
2	Dissemenition of the Project and Result's Disclosure	SI
3	Technical-Scientific, Business and Industrialization Analysis	IT
4	System's Engineering and Use Cases	SP
5	Development of the Detection and Radar Tracking Subsystem	IT
6	Development of the Detection and Optic Tracking Subsystem	SP
7	Development of the Countermeasure - Non-Kinetic RF and Direct Energy - WPT Subsystem	IT
8	Development and Algorithm Suitability	SP
9	Integration of Subsystems and Developmentof the Monitorization and Control Station	SI
10	System's Demonstration	SP

#	Milestone Name	Month	Status
M1.1	Project start	0	Done
M1.2	Final Revision and Project Closure	36
M2.1	Definition of General System Architecture	7
M2.2	Validation of Subsystem's Drawings	17
M2.3	Validation of System's Drawing	24
M2.4	Validation of System's Tests	29
M3.1	System's Demonstration	35

#	Deliverable Name	Promotor	Publicity
E1.1	Project's Management report	SI	Confidential
E1.2	Quality and Security Plan	SI	Confidential
E1.3	Revision of the Quality and Security Plan (E1.2)	SI	Confidential
E1.4	Intelectual Propriety Management Plan	SI	Confidential
E1.5	Quality and Security Report	SI	Confidential
E2.1	Website	SI	Public
E2.2	Comunication and Disclosure Plan	SI	Public
E2.3	Project's Dissemination Dossier	SI	Public
E2.4	Compilation of scientific publications of the Project	IT	Public
E3.1	State of the Art Report	IT	Public
E3.2	Summary of the aplicable legislation and respective legal requirements	SI	Public
E3.3	Revision of the Summary of the aplicable legislation and respective legal requirements (E3.2)	SI	Public
E3.4	Business Plan	SI	Confidential
E3.5	Industrialization Plan	SI	Confidential
E4.1	General Architecture of the system	SP	Confidential
E4.2	Definition of the Use Cases	CINAMIL	Public
E4.3	System's Specifications and Requirements	IT	Confidential
E4.4	Revision of the System's Specifications and Requirements (E4.3)	IT	Confidential
E4.5	Document of the Interface Controls	SI	Confidential
E4.6	Revision of the Document of the Interface Controls (E4.5)	SI	Confidential
E4.7	Revision of the Document of the Interface Controls (E4.6)	SI	Confidential
E4.8	Plans of the Manufacturing and Tests of the Subsystems	SI	Confidential
E5.1	Technical report of the Radar Tracking and detection subsystem's drawing	IT	Confidential
E5.2	Report of the Radar Tracking and detection subsystem's Tests	IT	Confidential
E5.3	Radar Tracking and Detection subsystem's Prototype	IT	Confidential
E6.1	Technical Report of the Optic Tracking and detection subsystem's drawing	SP	Confidential
E6.2	Report of the Optic Tracking and detection subsystem's Tests	SP	Confidential
E6.3	Optic Tracking and detection subsystem's Prototype	SP	Confidential
E7.1	Technical Report of the Countermeasure Subsystem's Drawing	IT	Confidential
E7.2	Report of the Countermeasure Subsystem's Tests	IT	Confidential
E7.3	Countermeasure Subsystem's Prototype	IT	Confidential
E8.1	Description of the Developed Algorithms	SP	Confidential
E8.2	Algorithms' Test Results	SP	Confidential
E9.1	Plan of the Production, Integration and Tests of the System	SI	Confidential
E9.2	Report of the System's Laboratory Tests	SP	Confidential
E10.1	Final Report of the CISGUARD system's Tests	SP	Confidential
E10.2	Final Report	SI	Confidential
E10.3	Lessons learned and Future Developments	SI	Public
E10.4	CISGUARD system	SI	Public