Simonas Mikuzis: “Our Radars See Outside, On and Within the Perimeter”

GIT SECURITY: Mr. Mikuzis, what has changed in the 20 or so years since Navtech produced its first radar?

Simonas Mikuzis: A great deal has changed, both in terms of product development and the way Navtech operates as a business. We are currently on the third generation of our radar, and Navtech is well established as a market leader for radar security product performance. But it’s important to note that this stems from work we have carried out over many years; for example, we began to develop our new-generation radar based on our own patented technology back in 2013. Moreover, we are continually honing and developing our products to provide the functionality our customers need.

For example, we work with many airports; these often purchased our AdvanceGuard radar-based perimeter monitoring solution simply to protect their boundaries, but as their needs have evolved so have our radars and software, to the point that now, airports can and do use them for both security and operational purposes. The same applies for critical infrastructure and industrial sites.

In terms of product content, the appearance of our radar hasn’t changed significantly, but the internal elements have and continue to do so. However, the software element of our products has changed even more! Navtech’s proprietary software reads the data from our radars and transforms this into visible information; it also directs third-party cameras and other security elements to provide an integrated system. All of this puts reliable information and a range of capabilities at the user’s fingertips. So, we might say that Navtech’s security radar section has evolved from being primarily a radar provider to becoming a producer and provider not only of market-leading radar, but also of complete radar-based security solutions. And we are continuing to develop in this way: we have a large team of in-house engineers that constantly work to enhance our products and technologies.

Since 1999, much has changed within the wider business, too, where we have a strong commitment to the highest standards. For example, in 2010 Navtech was awarded ISO 9001 accreditation, which verifies the quality management of our business, and we won the Queen’s Award for enterprise innovation.

What was Navtech Radar’s first application?
Simonas Mikuzis: The first ever application of Navtech radars was as part of a navigation system for driverless vehicles at the port of Brisbane, Australia, in 2000; however, their first security application was in 2004, when they were installed at a military airport in Italy.

Do you think radar technology is the best way to secure perimeters and if so, why?
Simonas Mikuzis: Absolutely! Only radar provides reliable detection in all weather and light conditions and in extreme conditions. Our perimeter security system, AdvanceGuard, uses both radar and our software to give the user advance warning of incursion and time to respond appropriately. This is only possible because our radars see outside, on and within the perimeter. What is more, they need very little infrastructure. Each one scans 360˚ over distances up to 5 km, so users need very few, and we often put them on existing structures.

Does the integration of radar with video security and other perimeter security sensors provide benefits for users?
Simonas Mikuzis: Yes, that’s why we designed AdvanceGuard to be integrated easily with third-party video and other security systems, and to automatically direct cameras and other third-party elements to work together. For example, our system automatically directs cameras to visualise and track multiple targets simultaneously and provide video data for forensic use. Integration greatly enhances the information available to the user, which lets them respond most effectively. It lets the user build a bigger security system, with greater capability.

What kind of installations are the most challenging, and why?
Simonas Mikuzis: Physically installing our system is almost always straightforward because it needs very little infrastructure, and most sites need very few radars. So, from that perspective there are no challenging installations! However, if we consider installations to run from the point of initial scoping, through product design, installation and training, then we can say that no installations are identical, each one comes with its own challenges and special considerations. At Navtech we genuinely enjoy these challenges and take pride in solving even the trickiest problems, to give each client a customised and integrated security solution that will last them for many years. That has been our commitment since the company was founded in 1999, and it will remain our commitment going forward, regardless of how much technology changes in the meantime.

This is an article of our jubilee issue. Click on the button to find all of the interviews, articles and the e-paper.