PORTSHIELD

The increasing availability of low-cost drones is creating new risks for ports, offshore installations, and logistics hubs. Existing countermeasures are not always well suited to operational environments with dense infrastructure and ongoing activities.

For example, the known interception systems and well-used radio frequency jamming can create risks of collateral damage near vessels, port infrastructure, and personnel. In addition, the cost of each intervention can quickly increase, making this approach difficult to scale against drone swarms.

In response to this threat, the PORTSHIELD project proposes the so called "Sovereign C-UAS Laser Countermeasure System for Critical Maritime Infrastructure." It combines a laser-based countermeasure, multiple sensors, an intelligent tracking and targeting platform, simulation models, and GeoAI-based deployment analysis into a single integrated demonstrator.

Objective

PORTSHIELD aims to demonstrate a practical Belgian solution for the detection, tracking, and neutralisation of drone threats around critical infrastructure.

Approach

The system combines sensors, AI-supported threat analysis, and a laser-based countermeasure. A digital twin is used to simulate scenarios involving multiple drones, while GeoAI is applied to determine optimal deployment locations and accurately assess the system's operational range.