Introducing UWAS, the UAV Watch and Catch System

JCPX Development, DSNA Services, and Aveillant will be launching the UWAS System - UAV Watch and Catch System – designed to fight against the unauthorised flight of drones over sensitive civilian and military areas, events and VIPs. This system will enable the detection, monitoring, visualisation and interception of small drones. Signing of the agreement between the technical partners of the programme is scheduled at Le Bourget.

This system comes in both a fixed and a mobile configuration to meet the requirements of all users. It is based on the expertise of several players in the field, including JCPX Development and DSNA Services for integration and their civil aviation expertise, alongside Aveillant, SAAB, SkySoft and the National School of Civil Aviation (ENAC) for their technical expertise and industrial know-how.

The turn-key technology for the integrated service belongs to Aveillant, a UK based world leader in radar surveillance. The company has developed a radar capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking small drones at ranges of up to five nautical miles. It also has the ability to retrospectively derive the point of origin to facilitate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

The UWAS system can be adapted to the requirements of all customers both in terms of combat strategy and in terms of the area and nature of the zones or events to be protected (sports events, official events, etc.). It covers the fields of detection of drones of less than 25 kg including identification and monitoring of the intruder, tracing of the perpetrator up to the interception or eventual destruction of the intruder. The components of the system have already been certified by certain Civil Aviation authorities and are compatible with airport environments.

For Jean-Christophe DRAI, JCPX Development (engineering company producing systems for the protection of sensitive sites), “There are numerous challenges in protecting sensitive sites from drones. Certain more exposed sites, such as airports, nuclear power plants, sports stadiums and military sites will be the first to be contacted and interested in our solution which is now operational.”

For Stéphane DURAND, DSNA Services, “this original system meets the challenges and concerns of civil aviation for the protection of air space, especially above sensitive urban sites or airports. DSNA Services has been supporting UWAS from the outset and offers its expertise in the integration of complex systems in the field of civil aviation.”

This truly innovative system consists of:

• Aveillant’s unique radar - an automatic H24 surveillance system capable of detecting 4-engine type threats of 0.01 m² at a distance of over 5 kilometres and up to a height of 1,000 m.
• A ground-based optical tracking system enabling tracking and identification of the target
• One or more tracing, tracking and interception vectors
• A control/command and monitoring interface, either portable or integrated in a remote command post

Role of the partners
JCPX: defining customer requirements, system specification and engineering, restitution and monitoring interface (a company founded by 3 Bordeaux entrepreneurs); DSNA services: expertise in air and public security, integration of complex systems in civil aviation environments, systems certification, design of radar installations; Aveillant (in which Altran has an investment): radar detection and engineering block; SAAB: video tracking system and remote monitoring centre; SkySoft: recordings and restitutions, data fusion; ENAC: R&D on interception systems, radars and antennae, tests, validation and electromagnetic compatibility.