Ferias y Eventos

SAES takes part in the 75th anniversary of the Maritime Mine Countermeasure Forces

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The celebration of the 75th anniversary includes the publication of a commemorative book titled ‘The evolution of the mine warfare in the Spanish Army’, by Javier Núñez de Prado Aparicio. The book is a historic view of the Maritime Mine Countermeasure Forces, created 26th April 1946 when ‘Bidasoa’ minesweeper, the first mine countermeasure vessel, was delivered to the Spanish Navy.

The ‘Arsenal Militar’ (a military naval base and shipyard) in Cartagena has celebrated today the 75th anniversary of the Maritime Mine Countermeasure Forces central event at the ‘Juan de Borbón’ quay, near the ‘Tambre’ and ‘Duero’ minesweepers. The event has been chaired by Maritime Action Vice Admiral, Juan Luis Sobrino Pérez-Crespo.

The commemoration of this anniversary has been attended by a MCM Forces veteran representation as well as local authorities and partner companies such as SAES, represented by its General Manager, Cristina Abad Salinas. The event honoured those who gave their lives for Spain and a special mention was made to those who died when ‘Guadalete’ minesweeper shipwrecked in 1954, followed by the reading of some penal laws. MCM Forces Commander, Navy Captain Miguel Cuartero Lorenzo, who played a significant role organising the 75th anniversary events, ended the event with a closing speech followed by the Spanish Army Hymn.

SAES takes part in the 75th anniversary of the Maritime Mine Countermeasure Forces
MCM Forces Commander, Navy Captain Miguel Cuartero Lorenzo greets the General Manager of SAES, Cristina Abad Salinas.

A commemorative book titled ‘The evolution of the mine warfare in the Spanish Army’ has just been published by the MCM Forces on the occasion of the 75th anniversary. The publication, edited by Javier Núñez de Prado Aparicio, has been sponsored by SAES among other partner companies. In the book the historic link between SAES and the MCM Forces is well detailed, starting with the development of the minesweeper combat system (by Navantia Sistemas in collaboration with SAES) which can locate, classify, and identify all kinds of naval mines.

In mine warfare there are two branches that evolve together: on the one hand, the naval mine and mining operations, and, on the other hand, counter-mining operations, to tackle the effects. SAES has systems that support both branches of mine warfare: MINEA smart mine and MIRS, a multi-influence signature measurement system for ships and submarines.

MCM Force 

The MCM Force is part of the ‘Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures’ (SNMCMG-2) or the ‘European Maritime Force’ (EUROMARFOR), among other military groups. It also takes part in a variety of international exercises such as the advanced multinational MCM exercise SPANISH MINEX.

SAES presents its underwater measurement systems for the civil sector at World Maritime Week (WMW) in Bilbao

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SAES exhibits at SINAVAL its MIRS model, a dual application which works as a multi-influence radiation measurement system for ships, as well as an underwater measuring station for environmental assessment. SINAVAL, focused on shipbuilding, is one of the five congresses held by the International Maritime Week. The event is organised by the Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC) from 5th to 7th October.

SAES participates as a co-exhibitor with Navantia in SINAVAL, the international naval congress part of the “World Maritime Week 2021”, which hosts in parallel 4 other congresses related to the following fields: fishing (EUROFISHING); ports (FUTUREPORT); upstream and downstream oil & gas (OIL & GAS CONFERENCE); and wave, tidal and current energy (OCEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE).

 SAES is interested in the five areas of the WORLD MARITIME WEEK and is showing at SINAVAL its portfolio of underwater measurement and analysis products as well as its services for the civil sector, such as the SDH smart digital hydrophone or the MIRS: a multi-influence signature measurement system for ships, applicable for environmental assessment. This system is one of a wide range of SAES products with dual applications for both the defence and civil markets: from diver detection sonars (detection of underwater intrusion) to multi-influence signature measurement systems and sonobuoys acoustic processor systems.

Adolfo Hernández, SAES Comercial Director ( a la derecha), together with Head of the Civil Market & Security, Eduardo Ruiz.

As specialist in underwater acoustics, SAES is also presenting its DDS-03: a high-frequency sonar specially designed for the for the detection of underwater threats, such as divers and manned and unmanned underwater vehicles, as well as the protection and surveillance of critical infrastructures (whether they are shipyards, ports, aquaculture facilities, oil or gas extraction and processing platforms or marine generators).

The system watches over the underwater area to be protected autonomously and continuously. When detecting a threat, the system generates an alert and continues to monitor it, allowing to know the exact position, distance, trajectory, and type of threat. This information enables to be activated well in advance acoustic deterrents to counter the threat, such as dispatching a patrol to the area.

Both the sonar and the acoustic deterrent system allow their deployment from patrol boats, manned or not, thus expanding the coverage radius of the system, compared to a fixed installation.    

Underwater measurement for the civil sector

SAES has products for underwater measurement and analysis services for the civil sector, such as the SDH smart digital hydrophone or the MIRS system.

The MIRS system measures and processes not only acoustic emissions but also electrical and magnetic radiation and other influences and parameters such as the seismic wave and the temperature.

On the other hand, the SDH is a dual device designed and built to be used by oceanographic institutes, universities, certification companies as well as for applications in the military sector. One of the main applications of the SDH smart digital hydrophone is the measurement of the indicators defined in descriptor 11 (European Directive 2008/56/EC establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy).

These solutions are applicable to conducting scientific and environmental studies, as well as to verifying underwater noise levels caused by maritime traffic, construction activities at sea, oil and gas extraction platforms and offshore wind fields, among others; as well as any facility or activity that may introduce energy into the marine environment.

   

SAES participates in Defence and Security Technologies workshops

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The aim of the workshops organised by Círculo Foundation this year is to debate about a ‘new digitalised scenario where everyone is hyperconnected, autonomous and smart’. Experts from the Spanish armed forces, law enforcement agents, university, public research organisations and technology firms are taking part in the event. SAES is present the 29th September in the round table on ‘platforms: complexity, autonomy and intelligence’.

The 19th edition of the Defence and Security Technologies workshops organised by Círculo Foundation take place 29th-30th September in the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Madrid, Spain. The aim of these workshops is to analyse the new scenario faced by the Defence and Security sectors: the growing digitalisation of a hyperconnected, autonomous and intelligent world, focusing on emerging technologies that are boosting this trend (AI, big data, etc.)

Experts from the Spanish armed forces, law enforcement agents, university, public research organisations and technology firms will be debating in conferences and rounded tables on ‘the reasons and significance of these smart technologies our country should be backing’, according to the organisers.

SAES General Manager, Cristina Abad, together with SAES Defense Advisor, José Meca

Representing SAES will be Cristina Abad (general manager); Joaquín López (CEO); Sara García (Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation); and Ignacio Gutiérrez (ASW product manager) who is also a speaker at the round table on new platforms, with representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Defence, Airbus Defence & Space,  Deimos Space, Isdefe and Sener.

According to Cristina Abad, the input from SAES will focus on “AI solutions and on board processing systems which allow an autonomous mission planning with results in real time”. As a great example of this, SAES will show the Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) ROASW system, which is fully integrated in Navantia’s command and control system since 2016.

Cristina Abad talking to ADIC Manuel Martinez Ruiz, along with AJEMA Antonio Martorell Lacave.

Círculo Foundation

The Círculo Foundation for Defence and Security Technologies (previously known as Military Electronics Circle) was created in 2005 as a meeting forum for discussion including experts and companies from both sectors. Among their main objectives are ‘to promote initiatives to create and develop national technologies to be applied on the Defence and Security sectors’, as well as ‘to boost interaction and cooperation among all beneficiaries of the foundation, especially in innovation and research projects’.

This foundation is integrated by several Spanish Ministries (Defence, Domestic Affairs, Economic Affairs, Science and Innovation) as well as prestigious institutions such as CSIC, CNI, INTA, academia and technology firms from both Defence and Security sectors, including SAES.

SAES participates with Navantia in UNVEX 2021

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SAES presents its ASW solutions for RPAS and underwater sensors for USV and UUV at the Spanish drone fair.

For UAVs, SAES, which participates in UNVEX 2021 as a co-exhibitor with Navantia, supplies state-of-the-art ASW solutions based on sonobuoys, which enable RPAS as an advanced station for submarine early warning, as well as high-technology underwater sensors and improved signal processing for USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) and UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles).

SAES participa con Navantia en UNVEX 2021
Illustration 1: Cristina Abad Salinas, General Director of SAES (center), together with Adolfo Hernández Solano, Commercial & Business Development Director (on the left), and Eduardo Ruiz Pérez, Civil, Security & UxVs Sales and Business Develooment Manager (on the right).

In this sense, SAES has shown two presentations at the Navantia-SAES stand. The first one about its ASW solutions for RPAS, which took place on July 7 at 1:00 p.m., by Ignacio Gutiérrez, Head of ASW Line of Business, entitled “ROASW: ASW System for operation with RPAS”.

On March 2014 SAES attended the III Congress on unmanned vehicles UNVEX’2014 in Madrid. On that occasion, the conference by Ignacio Gutiérrez, entitled “Industry Solutions II”, already indicated that the new ASW missions were going to require the use of UAVs as a distant and elevated platform without a dedicated operator.

In the second presentation, entitled “Submarine sensors in UUV and USV”, on July 8 at 11 am, Eduardo Ruiz Pérez, Sales and Business Development Manager for Civil, Security & UxVs, explained that the sensors will have a great relevance in the evolution of aspects such as autonomy of the UUV, where a technological leap is foreseen, of “strategic importance” for defence and industry.

In the field of unmanned underwater vehicles, SAES presented in December 2020, together with Navantia, the ACASUB proposal, within the Ports 4.0 initiative, to provide submarine capabilities to the USV Vendaval from Navantia, in service at the port of Ceuta. Apart from incorporating its real-time monitoring, the estimation of the noise source, object detection and the sending of acoustic signals to divers in the protection area are under development.

SAES also collaborated in the Ocean Master project to develop a vehicle with a dual function, underwater and surface, adaptable to different platforms. In this initiative, which ended a year ago, SAES worked on the payload, integrating a side scan sonar, acoustic communications and its sonar for the detection of divers.

SAES lecture in NATCOM21 about the advanced processing of the underwater of the Multi-Influence signature

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During the online celebration of the 16th Baltic Military Fair, where SAES participates as an exhibitor.

SAES will offer the lecture Multi-Influence Signature: Modern Signal Processing Techniques to increase the Detectability and Classification of Ships, by Francisco Javier Rodrigo Saura, Head of Maritime Security Product Line, at the IX International Scientific and Technical Conference NATCON “Maritime technologies for defence and security”, which will take place online from April 20th to 22th.

Mr. Javier Rodrigo will present the results of his studies on the exploitation of the multi-influence signature, composed of the acoustic, static and alternating electromagnetic, seismic and pressure signature. Through signal processing techniques based on Machine Learning methods applied to the multi-influence signature, it is verified that the joint exploitation of the signatures increases the detection and classification capability in naval detection systems in comparison with to the individual processing of each type of signature.

To analyse and evaluate the improvement in the detection and classification capacity, standard techniques and techniques based on Machine Learning methods are applied to a Database of multi-influence measurements of surface vessels acquired in shallow waters with the MIRS multi-influence measurement system manufactured by SAES.

Deployment of the MIRS system manufactured by SAES
Deployment of the MIRS system manufactured by SAES

MIRS will be one of the products present in the SAES online exhibitor at the Balt Military Expo 2021 fair, along with other highlights such as the DDS03 diver detection sonar, the MINEA naval mine, the DISOUROS acoustic processor and the DEWARS submarine acoustics signature measurement system.