Amidst the many challenges facing South Africa’s border security, ranging from irregular migration to transnational crime, the use of sophisticated technologies has never been more critical. In this light, Aselsan South Africa has identified an opportunity to help foster collaboration amongst local industry partners to achieve border security through innovative solutions.
Aselsan is already making strides towards achieving collaboration in border security through partnerships in South Africa. These initiatives include the involvement of Aselsan’s South African branch in Border Management Authority (BMA) operations during critical periods such as Easter. The company places a particular emphasis on involving local companies and the Aerospace, Maritime & Defence (AMD) community.
The role Aselsan has played is geared towards fostering collaboration within the local defence industry. This includes giving SMEs a voice by integrating them in hi-tech projects.
The company’s involvement in supporting BMA operations is illustrated by its recent partnership with local manufacturers Unipro Protective Wear and DCD Protected Mobility to deploy body-worn cameras to help support border security operations.
This project is far more than an effort to provide a solution for today’s border management challenges. Instead, it is a means of building long-term value by helping local firms acquire knowledge and participate in hi-tech programmes.
Another key advantage of Aselsan’s solutions is its capability to integrate across multiple domains to form a coherent defence system. This has been made possible owing to the firm’s unique position as an integrator of defence technologies. This is just the start of a ‘hunt as a pack’ initiative, collaborating with various firms.
The South African initiative entails the incorporation of mobility solutions provided by DCD, protective gear from Unipro Protective Wear, and electronics offered by Aselsan. The idea behind the collaboration is to integrate various elements into a single multi-layer security solution that can involve mobile and aerial surveillance, as well as command centres.
Aselsan’s solutions are compatible with different platforms and domains, including land, sea, and airborne as well as command-and-control infrastructure. Therefore, information can easily flow among all participants and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the operation.
Going forward, Aselsan hopes to explore new ways of integrating its solutions within the local industry. It is already holding advanced negotiations with Denel Aerospace to integrate its AI-based MIDAS border management system into Denel’s fixed-wing VTOL aircraft.
The inclusion of this aircraft would add another aerial dimension to the system by introducing an additional surveillance layer to ensure full real-time coverage of all relevant areas. The result will be a fully-integrated solution that can detect, process, and respond to any situation.
Body-worn camera technology in border security operations
A notable solution provided by Aselsan involves the deployment of advanced body-worn camera systems. With these, individual officers become integral elements of the security system, providing real-time data for situational awareness and decision-making purposes.
Amongst the most prominent features of this technology include 4K live streaming directly to the command post for instant monitoring and coordination. Facial recognition capabilities help in identifying any suspicious individuals, while the built-in infrared sensors ensure night time operation.
Other capabilities provided by these camera systems include GPS and SOS functions, two-way communications with the control room, and high-intensity lighting to illuminate the surroundings. The devices are capable of performing advanced video analytics using artificial intelligence to conduct real-time face and license plate recognition.
Further, the camera supports continuous operation of nine hours. Adjustable video resolutions range from 4K to 480p, and it can securely store recorded footage in encrypted SD card memory. Having connectivity options including 5G, 4G, and LTE makes the data readily available.
Driving localisation and capacity building
Another important aspect of Aselsan’s operations in South Africa is its focus on localisation. Over the years, the company has worked extensively with numerous local players, providing knowledge transfers and participating in advanced programmes related to communications systems, electro-optics, avionics, and body-worn camera technologies. Focussing on localising and driving growth ensures ensure that South Africa builds capacity within its own borders.
By localising production, South Africa not only becomes self-sufficient in terms of defence, but it also creates opportunities to produce advanced technologies for export to foreign markets. Through participation in global value chains, local firms will gain invaluable experience in developing world-class defence products.
The company will be looking to on-board even more local partners in coming years to further strengthen the local defence industry.
The power of Public-Private Partnerships
Over recent years, public-private partnerships (PPP) have become increasingly prevalent for several reasons. These types of initiatives have been gaining traction amid growing threats and security challenges faced by governments.
PPP models are becoming indispensable in solving modern security challenges. Through these partnerships, private sector assets – technologies, equipment, and specialist capabilities – can be used to augment public sector operations quickly.
Such partnerships prove invaluable during times of heightened demand, such as during Easter when border activities increase substantially. Nevertheless, there are still improvements that could be done in order to make these initiatives more effective.
For these collaborations to have a lasting impact, there should be a move away from ad-hoc models to adopting standard PPP models. Such a move will help standardise and structure these collaborations in a way that will yield positive results.
A model for national solutions
The current involvement of Aselsan SA with local industry and government partners to solve security problems has proven highly successful. Nonetheless, the scope of future projects should be broadened significantly to achieve even better results.
Aselsan’s current activities represent only the beginning of the journey. Its goal now is to establish a collaboration that will last for many years and cover multiple aspects of national defence.
The first step towards implementing such a plan will involve identifying weaknesses and gaps in the border security, policing, and defence sectors. Once these issues have been identified, a set of coordinated initiatives could be launched to solve these challenges once and for all.
To achieve this goal, Aselsan will need to work alongside its local industry partners, such as the AMD association, to help implement national solutions.
Ultimately, Aselsan SA presents an interesting model for future defence collaboration in border security. Not only does the company focus on delivering state-of-the-art technology, but it also prioritises local partnerships and knowledge transfer.
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