SUNDAY, JULY 16, 1989
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ABOARD PL 3, THE "SEA PANTHER" WHICH OPERATES FROM SAI KUNG IN MARINE EAST DIVISION, THE ASSISTANT DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, MR TONY
IN MAGGS, SAID: "THE LAUNCH WAS COMMISSIONED
1987 BUT IT HAD AN EXTENDED WORK UP PERIOD BECAUSE OF THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED.
"THE LAUNCH IS SLOW BUT IT HAS THE CAPACITY TO STAY AT SEA FOR EXTENDED PERIODS WITHOUT RETURNING FOR FUEL
WATER. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE NEW SYSTEMS HAVE ENHANCED OUR POLICING CAPABILITIES.'
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THE ONLY EXTERNALLY VISIBLE SIGN OF THE LAUNCHES' TECHNOLOGY IS A SCANNING LOW LIGHT TELEVISION CAMARA ATTACHED TO A FORWARD MAST.
THE CAMERA IS PART OF THE ELECTRICAL OPTICAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM WHICH HAS AN INFRA-RED THERMAL IMAGER WHICH USES HEAT ΤΟ MAKE VISIBLE OBJECTS IN ITS RANGE AT NIGHT.
THE SYSTEM IS LINKED TO THE LAUNCH'S COMPUTER AIDED NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT WHICH INCLUDES AUTOMATIC CHART TABLES FOR PLOTTING THE LAUNCH'S OWN POSITION.
AN OBJECT IN THE SEA CAN BE DISPLAYED ON A SCREEN WITH DAYLIGHT CLARITY. THE SCANNER CAN OPERATE THROUGH 320 AND OBJECTS SEEN CAN BE MAGNIFIED AND BROUGHT CLOSER TO VISION AS IF SEEN THROUGH BINOCULARS.
"IF WE PICK UP A WEAK TARGET ON THE RADAR WE CAN FEED ITS POSITION INTO THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY PLOT ITS SPEED AND COURSE, MR MAGGS SAID.
"
"WE THEN GET THE THERMAL IMAGERS ONTO IT AND DEPENDING ON ITS RANGE WE CAN IDENTIFY THE TARGET QUITE CLEARLY. WE THEN DROP OUR SEA RIDER AND STEER IT TO THE TARGET AT FULL SPEED WITH RADIO COMMUNICATION DIRECT TO THE SEA RIDER'S COXSWAIN.
FIELD
"WE CAN ALSO WATCH THE SEA RIDER'S POSITION WHILE IT'S IN THE OF VISION AND FILM IT, WHICH CAN BE VERY USEFUL FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES. WE HAVEN'T TAKEN SUCH IDENTIFICATION TO COURT YET BUT IT COULD BE USED AS EVIDENCE."
THE PLOTTING OF THE LAUNCH'S OWN POSITION ON THE CHART TABLE IS OPERATED BY A LIGHT WHICH CAN BE TRANSMITTED то THE COMPUTER'S MEMORY BANK. THE INTERACTION OF SIGNALS CAN BE PLOTTED AT THE PRESS OF A BUTTON CHARTING THE LAUNCH'S POSITION AS IT MOVES.
"THE INTERACTION OF POINTS ON THE CHART ENABLES US то LOCATE OUR POSITION ON A MOMENT TO MOMENT BASIS," MR MAGGS SAID.
"WE CAN KNOW OUR EXACT POSITION AT ALL TIMES.
Tr
HAVE ALREADY
LAUNCH COMMANDER DICKIE CHUNG SAID : **WE ARE USING THE EQUIPMENT MAINLY FOR THE DETECTION OF SMUGGLERS AND WE HAD SOME SUCCESSFUL INTERCEPTIONS AS A RESULT.
NIGHT, AND WE CAN SEE THE WEATHER UP THE
"THEY CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DETECT, ESPECIALLY AT THEY CAN MOVE AT HIGH SPEEDS IN MOTORISED SAMPANS. EFFECTIVELY FROM A RANGE OF TWO MILES DEPENDING ON ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SEEN A SAMPAN FROM THREE MILES, PICKING PICTURE AS BRIGHT AS DAYLIGHT.
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