Libya buys coastal monitoring system

A US$28 million radar system will cover the entire Libyan coast, detect small boats used by illegal immigrants.

Libya agreed last night to pay Irish-based company ‚Transas Marine‘ about US$28 million for a sophisticated radar system to monitor its vast coastline for illegal migrants and outbreaks of pollution.

„The system will cover the entire Libyan coast,“ which stretches almost 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), Transas Marine said after a contract-signing ceremony in Tripoli.

„Libya will have a system that is one of the most modern and efficient in the world“ and „even detect small boats used by illegal immigrants,“ Christopher Loiz, head of the company’s French unit, said.

Transas Marine hoped to complete within 16 months the installation of the system of 15 monitoring stations, which Loiz said cost more than 20 million euros (28 million dollars).

Besides helping it in the fight against illegal migration, the system will allow Libya to oversee and monitor shipping in its waters and to identify ecological hazards such as oil leaks.

The deal was inked after the European Commission last week offered Libya up to 50 million euros in aid to stop the flow of illegal migrants to Europe and to protect refugees.

Tripoli, which has long demanded financing and equipment to supervise its maritime and land borders, had requested five billion euros a year in EU funds to stop would-be migrants using its territory as a springboard into Europe.

Source: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/world/libya-buys-coastal-monitoring-system