Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — An Israeli defense major has demonstrated a military-origin surveillance system for crowd control.

Elbit Systems introduced its GroundEye persistent surveillance ground system to help secure Brazil’s Carnival.

The company, which regards Brazil as a major potential market, used GroundEye to monitor the hundreds of thousands of people who attended the annual celebrations in Salvador.

“The successful demonstration of GroundEye attests to our ability to develop solutions for civilian applications, based on Elbit Systems’ existing knowledge and experience, positioning us as leaders in the growing field of homeland security,” Elbit president Bezhalel Machlis said.

Executives said GroundEye marked the latest attempt by Israeli companies to adapt military systems to homeland security requirements. GroundEye, placed on a mast, was designed to allow multiple users to monitor a wide area, including borders and critical facilities.

“The system used during the Salvador Carnival is designed for both
civilian and military applications, including border protection, perimeter
control of infrastructure and critical sites, military operations, Safe City
programs and large scale events,” Elbit said on March 4.

  Elbit Systems, GroundEye, Israeli surveillance system monitors Brazil’s Carnival