Falcon Eye Tracks ‘Dark’ Vessels Operating In Nigerian Waters – Firm

RTCOM Defense has said the Falcon Eye maritime surveillance system played a critical role in tracking “dark” vessels used by criminal networks, strengthening the Nigerian Navy’s capacity to intercept drug traffickers and other maritime criminals operating in Nigerian waters.

The company made the assertion following the Nigerian Navy’s recent interception of 757 kilograms of cannabis sativa in Nigerian waters, an operation in which the Navy acknowledged Falcon Eye’s contribution. The seizure came shortly after another successful operation that led to the recovery of 550 kilograms of illicit narcotics at Tarkwa Bay Beach, underscoring the growing role of advanced surveillance technology in maritime security operations.

Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, had disclosed that the Nigerian Navy’s Western Regional Control Centre, popularly known as Falcon Eye, provided the intelligence that enabled the successful operation. He explained that the integrated surveillance platform combines long-range cameras, sensors and other sophisticated technologies capable of monitoring activities across Nigeria’s maritime domain, including areas beyond the reach of naval patrol vessels.

Explaining Falcon Eye’s role in the latest interception, RTCOM Defense said criminal syndicates increasingly deploy wooden boats with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) deliberately switched off to evade conventional maritime surveillance.

The company noted that Falcon Eye overcomes this challenge through its high-sensitivity Over-the-Horizon (OTH) and Coastal Radar arrays, which are capable of detecting low-radar-cross-section vessels even when they are operating without AIS signals.

According to the company, Falcon Eye successfully detected and tracked the suspect vessel despite it operating completely “dark.”

“Smuggling syndicates heavily rely on wooden boats because their low profile and material composition make them difficult for standard coastal radar to detect. However, Falcon Eye’s high-sensitivity Over-the-Horizon (OTH) and Coastal Radar arrays are specifically designed to pick up these low-radar-cross-section targets. The system successfully locked onto the craft despite it operating completely ‘dark’ with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) deactivated,” the company said.

RTCOM Defense added that beyond target detection, Falcon Eye employs automated behavioural analysis to assess a vessel’s speed, heading and movement patterns against known smuggling routes, enabling security agencies to identify suspicious activities more rapidly.

It said the system also generates real-time intelligence that helps security agencies predict likely interception points, improving operational planning and allowing response teams to intercept suspects before they reach shore.

LEADERSHIP reports that Falcon Eye has significantly improved Nigeria’s maritime domain awareness by expanding surveillance coverage across the country’s coastal waters and strengthening efforts to combat drug trafficking, piracy, oil theft and other forms of transnational maritime crime.