Build a "Digital Great Wall" for the thousands of miles of border and coastal defense

Each "informationized sentinel" can detect complex targets dozens of kilometers away; a dense joint defense network has woven hundreds of front-end touch points for border and coastal defense perception, with islands and ports in full view; a "digital Great Wall" breaks down barriers, understands millions of dynamic data, and accurately analyzes and locks them.

In the laboratory of Institute 207 of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation II (hereinafter referred to as Institute 207), many newly assembled "Border and Coast Defense Sky Eyes" are being tested and deployed, ready to be sent to the border of the motherland.

This sphere, which looks several times larger than an ordinary camera, is an important part of the border and coastal defense monitoring system. It has two deep "eyes" above and below: an infrared thermal imager and a visible light TV camera. It can accurately detect people within a distance of 10km and ships within a distance of 20km. Through big data analysis, it can accurately identify the targets in the monitoring area and detect abnormalities in a timely manner.

Border and coastal defense information equipment stands on the seashore

A pair of "eyes in the sky" opens a new mode of border and coastal defense control

my country is a major country in border and coastal defense, with 22,000 kilometers of land border, 18,000 kilometers of continental coastline and 14,000 kilometers of island coastline.

In the past, soldiers patrolling the border relied on their eyes to capture and record the long and winding border. Today, the border and coastal defense monitoring system developed by the 207th Institute has realized the intelligentization of the entire process of "sensing, transmission, decision-making, handling, and evaluation", which has been applied in the field of Guangdong's coastal defense.

As a major coastal defense province, Guangdong has a coastline of more than 4,000 kilometers and a heavy task of coastal defense control. Considering the huge demand for coastal defense control in Guangdong Province, after a series of assessments, in 2021, the Guangdong "Smart Border and Coastal Defense" monitoring station project undertaken by the 207th Institute entered the pilot stage.

The key to building a "smart border and coastal defense" lies in the word "smart". Since the numbering rules of different types of ships are not fixed, the printing positions and formats are different, compared with the currently mature motor vehicle license plate recognition system, the identification of ships is more complicated and there is no precedent. The 207th Institute has achieved large-scale surveillance of the sea area and detected various types of targets at sea by comprehensively using multiple technologies such as photoelectric detection, radar monitoring, image processing, artificial intelligence, and big data; identified legal targets and screened out unidentified targets; and identified unidentified targets, observed their behavior, and recorded their whereabouts.

Ship license plate and ship type recognition

Target Tracking

A picture of the sea situation

"Intelligence" is also reflected in interconnection. "In the past, each monitoring station was a 'single-soldier operation' and was only responsible for matters within its jurisdiction. After installing the 'Intelligent Border and Coastal Defense' monitoring system, stations can achieve relay cooperation, and the previous station can inform the next station of the target's movement trajectory in advance." Yang Xuan, deputy director of the 207th Research and Development Center, introduced that different departments such as the public security and the coast guard can also know relevant information, which is convenient for carrying out control work.

In response to abnormal behaviors at sea, such as ships constantly circling a certain area or turning off the AIS system during navigation, making it difficult to identify their identities, the 207th Institute has also developed intelligent algorithms represented by target recognition, abnormal behavior analysis, and blacklist alarms. This enables the monitoring station to have the intelligent level of analysis, judgment, decision-making and disposal, and can independently analyze and alarm abnormal behaviors such as "ghost ships", saving the time of manual identification.

Zhao Wei, dispatcher of the Industry Department of the 207th Institute, said that the smart coastal defense monitoring station has effectively curbed smuggling and illegal immigration, and ensured the healthy economic and social development of border and coastal areas.

Up to now, the results of Guangdong's "Smart Border and Coastal Defense" pilot construction project have been successfully transformed and have a good demonstration effect. The 207th Institute has built more than 800 monitoring stations and nearly 3,500 monitoring front ends on the front line of border and coastal defense across the country, which has effectively enhanced my country's border defense and control capabilities. The achievements of aerospace science and technology have truly served the national economy and people's livelihood.

An original intention to use technology to protect the long border

Behind the extremely long land border and continental coastline is a huge geographical span from deserts, plateaus, coasts to forests. It is also a test of the original intention and determination to defend the border and coastal defense through scientific and technological power.

As early as 2005, the 207th Institute noticed the country's urgent need for border and coastal defense construction, and took the lead in organizing the preparation of a development plan for border and coastal defense monitoring stations, and stood out in the national-level physical evaluation.

At first, the border and coastal defense projects had little profit, and many of their peers chose to quit because they could not see the return. "But in our eyes, engaging in border and coastal defense construction and safeguarding national security is a social responsibility and a patriotic sentiment." Over the past decade, Zhao Wei has witnessed the step-by-step growth of the border and coastal defense projects.

Border and coastal defense areas are mostly characterized by complex geographical environments, changeable climates, and difficult living conditions. Many personnel stationed on the front line sometimes try to find joy in hardship by taking beautiful photos of the scenery and sharing them with colleagues in the rear. However, only those who have experienced it personally know how "beautiful" the scenery is and how "hard" the reality is. "Many people in the team have experienced countless storms, thunderstorms, and sleeping in the open air, but they still travel all over the country," said Zhao Wei.

Engineers conduct field research at the frontline

Gu Lingqian, an engineer at the 207th Institute, once heard a thrilling experience shared by a colleague on the front line. Last year, when the project team was building a front-end point at the border, they were not allowed to use electricity and equipment during the day due to the military training. They had to go to the point at night. After driving nearly 100 kilometers to arrive, they encountered two "uninvited guests" - wolves. "The colleagues in front did not back down. They said that they had finally reached the destination and had to finish the work before leaving." In this way, they completed the work in the dark environment, under the watchful eyes of two wolves, with the car lights on.

Yang Xuan, a post-80s youth who joined the border and coastal defense project team after graduating from Peking University with a master's degree in 2014, is about to enter his 10th year of work. When he graduated, many companies offered him olive branches, but money is not the only criterion for measuring success, and he chose this career that is of great significance to the development of the country.

Because of his passion, he always maintains sensitivity to new technologies, keeps a close eye on changes in technological trends, and promptly applies cutting-edge technological achievements to border and coastal defense management practices. From system architecture, detection methods to information processing, there has been significant progress in all aspects.

In Yang Xuan's view, although the name of his unit is China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the meaning of the word "aerospace" is far more than just "ignition and launch". One of the core elements of the aerospace spirit is "serving the country and the people". Whether in the field of aerospace or in the field of border and coastal defense, the goal is to promote national construction and development through technological innovation, so as to make the motherland more prosperous and the people healthier.

Border and coastal defense information equipment is stationed in all corners of the motherland

From "invisible" to "visible", and then to "clearly see", "fully see" and "controllable", my country's border and coastal defense information construction has been improved step by step. However, various situations continue to occur on the front line of border and coastal defense, which puts forward higher requirements for my country's border and coastal defense information construction, especially the construction of "smart border and coastal defense". Yang Xuan hopes to always practice "scientific and technological control of the border". In the current era of rapid development and cross-disciplinary integration of knowledge, we will strengthen technical reserves, solve "stuck neck" technologies, and promote the continuous improvement of my country's border defense control capabilities through scientific and technological innovation, and continue to promote the construction of border and coastal defense towards "smartness".

Review expert: Yang Xuan, deputy director of the R&D center of the 207th Institute of the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry

Author: Cai Lin