Finmeccanica's security technologies in the NATO surveillance system

(To Finmeccanica)
03/12/15

The Finmeccanica-Selex ES technologies that NATO chose to employ for surveillance and security of the coalition countries were presented today in Turin.

Launched in the 2012, the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) program is based on drones, sensors, ground systems and mission support structures capable of acquiring and analyzing data and information to ensure real-time surveillance over large areas, in each environmental and meteorological condition. The program represents a further successful application of Finmeccanica's capabilities in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and related ground and on-board equipment.

Selex ES is one of the main industrial partners of NATO AGS. Its role consists of providing ground stations for the operations center, two transportable systems, communication equipment for transmitting data and images between the drones and the ground segment and supporting the mission. These activities, the heart of the alliance surveillance system, are carried out at the Turin Caselle plant, where around 350 people operate.

The event was also attended by local institutions, representatives of Northrop Grumman, prime contractor of the AGS, of the NAGSMA agency (NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Management Agency), program manager, and of the Italian Air Force.

The NATO AGS is composed of unmanned Global Hawk aircraft, sensors, ground stations and data transmission systems. It aims to ensure the protection of civilian populations and ground troops and border control and to improve crisis management and humanitarian aid in emergency situations. The system will become operational in Italy from the 2017, at the Sigonella base (SR).