UASUV 2017 Med Unmanned Vehicles Technology | Page 30

Dr. Olaf TRIESCHMANN
Senior Project Officer, RPAS Services, Maritime Surveillanc,
European Maritime Safety Agency - (EMSA)
Olaf Trieschmann is presently with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), where he is heading
the development for remote piloted aircraft systems for maritime surveillance. Previously he was
setting up the Agency's earth observation services and the satellite based European oil spill and vessel
detection service “CleanSeaNet”. He is a senior expert on remote sensing, was founding chairman of
EGEMP (European Group of Experts on Satellite Monitoring of Sea-based Oil Pollution), member of the
German delegation to the international GEO/GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems)
initiative and member of the GMES (Global Monitoring of the Environment and Security) “Marine Core
Service Implementation Group”. Dr. Trieschmann received his diploma and PhD in Physics from the
University Karlsruhe, Germany. He started his professional career in remote sensing of the upper
atmosphere in the framework of the ozone hole and global warming research. Since 2000 he is working
on aerial monitoring and earth observation systems and in particular in the maritime domain.
"New RPAS technology for maritime surveillance: EMSA operational services for
European Member States"
Maritime domain awareness is of growing importance, due to societal challenges such as maritime
pollution, the growth of irregular immigration, illegal fishing, safety of navigation, and consequently the
increasing interest in obtaining effective maritime domain awareness. The European Maritime Safety
Agency (EMSA) provides comprehensive maritime domain information to the European Member States
and bodies.
Maritime domain awareness implies the capacity to cover large sea areas, but also to find certain risk
activity patterns. The detection, tracking and identification of small boats are important. Detailed
analysis and continuous monitoring is necessary to achieve this. From a technical perspective however,
it remains a challenge; the services based on satellite imagery do not have the capability to cover a
certain area of interest at a moment of need. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have the
potential to radically improve the surveillance and detection capabilities.
Consequently, EMSA has contracted multiple “multi-purpose RPAS services” in support to EU Member
States and bodies. These fixed wing and VTOL RPAS range from 25kg to 250kg MTOW and are equipped
with a large range of sensors including EO/IR, Maritime radar, synthetic aperture radar, AIS, mobile
detection units, distress signal receivers, and for ship emission monitoring sulphur detections. Presently
EMSA is setting up these services to provide free of charge RPAS operations to European Member State
users in the maritime domain, based in their requests from summer 2017 onwards. This civil RPAS
service provision is unique in the market and thus a precursor for future civil maritime RPAS operations.