Heathrow more secure with Plextek radars

The Blighter B400 series electronic scanning radars – with Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Doppler processing – form part of an integrated perimeter security system at Heathrow, developed and supplied to BAA plc, the airport operator, by Touchstone Electronics, a specialist security provider to the UK airport industry. The complete airport perimeter surveillance solution includes long-range day and night cameras and a network of high definition cameras, capable of quickly identifying and tracking intruders detected by the Blighter radar.

Mark Radford, director of the Blighter Group at Plextek © Plextek

Andy Cowen, BAA’s Security Development Manager said: “We needed a highly reliable, maintenance-free system that could provide intensive 24-hour surveillance of key areas of the airport in all weather and light conditions. The Blighter Doppler system is technically superior to anything else we’ve seen and met our requirements in full, and since deployment has led to considerable operational savings, reduced security staff costs, with a marked improvement in detection. Mark Radford, director of the Blighter Group at Plextek, said: “We are delighted that the major benefits of our Blighter radar are being recognised by busy international airports such as Heathrow and at other airports in the United States, Europe and Africa. Our radar’s eagle-eye view can look over the top of obstructions and uneven ground giving it a continuous, unobstructed view of critical perimeter areas. This is a major advantage over traditional surface mounted radars which suffer substantial blockage from local buildings, infrastructure and airport vehicles including aircraft.”