Operational concept diagram of the individual surveillance system of the Army infantry battalion. / Provided by Hanwha Systems
[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Hanwha Systems announced on the 4th that it has been selected as the final contractor for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's pilot project for rapid acquisition, the ‘Hyperconnected Smart Personal Surveillance System.’
Previously, soldiers could only share battlefield situations via voice or text through personal radios. In contrast, the ‘Hyperconnected Smart Personal Surveillance System’ aims to enable real-time sharing of vivid video information as well. Starting this month, after a one-year development process, it will be pilot-operated by the Army and Air Force.
According to the plan, an intelligent video sensor composed of a high-resolution camera for daytime video acquisition and an infrared thermal imaging camera capable of capturing nighttime video will be attached to individual helmets. In particular, Hanwha Systems applied its self-developed ultra-compact intelligent thermal imaging engine module, which can accurately recognize objects at a distance of 1 km.
Additionally, for the first time in Korea, commercial smartphones will be applied to weapon systems, enabling video information to be transmitted and received anytime and anywhere. Through this, the Army expects to maximize combat capabilities by sharing battlefield voice, data, and video information acquired by intelligent cameras in real time with command posts.
The Air Force Special Search and Rescue Battalion is also expected to improve the efficiency of rescue operations such as issuing rescue operation instructions and advising emergency measures. It is anticipated that civilian disaster and emergency rescue situations will also be responded to more swiftly.
Hanwha Systems hopes to further strengthen its technological competitiveness and expand into the ‘Personal Battlefield Visualization System’ development project starting in 2021.
Kim Yeon-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Systems, said, "Based on our experience conducting personal combat system research projects with the Agency for Defense Development since 2007, we have secured advanced future technology capabilities in surveillance and reconnaissance fields," adding, "Through this, we will rapidly establish a smart personal surveillance system and lead smart defense equipped with cutting-edge future technologies in the era of hyperconnectivity and superintelligence."
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