A three-tier security solution from Secom plc provides 24-hour cover for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) test facility in Wales.
Installed were access control and intruder alarms, and multi-camera CCTV to secure hangar and offices to military standards at West Wales Airport, Aberporth. The facility has been established for tests involving the WK450 UAV which is the backbone of the new Watchkeeper surveillance system under development for Britain’s armed forces.
Monitoring is locally and remotely from the nearby research establishment. The PC-based access system logs all authorised entries, while the alarm system is set to detect any unauthorised events. CCTV is linked by Category 5 cabling to the digital recording equipment. External cameras are part of a software-driven video analytics system which allows any activity around the perimeter fence to be monitored according to predetermined go and no-go areas.
The UAV test facility is a significant step in the redevelopment of the World War Two military airfield which, up to 2001, supported the defence research establishment about a mile away on the Cardigan Bay cliffs. Since then the airfield has been owned privately by the Mann Organisation which recently extended the runway from 915m to 1,199m and has long term development plans including new terminal facilities to accommodate increased air traffic expected in tandem with the growth of Parc Aberporth, the Welsh Development Agency’s adjoining business technology park. The cornerstone of the new facilities is the 1940s vintage hangar which has been extensively refurbished by the Mann Organisation, to create a world class base for the MoD’s UAV operations.
Ray Mann, Managing Director of the Mann Organisation, says the ability to provide a hangar and office accommodation in a single, secure compound was a major consideration in the decision to site the test facility at Aberporth. "Secom was highly recommended as a provider of electronic security solutions and we were most impressed by the speed and professionalism in the design, installation and commissioning of the systems," he says. "Secom has enabled us to deliver an appropriately secure environment for the UAV facility."
Mark Johnson, Secom Major Projects Sales Executive, designed the solution and says it is dynamic, allowing refinements during installation and potential for further post-commissioning development to accommodate changing needs or technology upgrades. "It has been described as a benchmark for defence related installations. It is an extremely high technology system, that is both user-friendly and secure in itself," he says.
