What force protection means
NATO doctrine defines force protection as measures and means to minimise the vulnerability of personnel, facilities, materiel, operations and activities from threats and hazards, to preserve freedom of action and operational effectiveness (AJP-3.14 on GOV.UK). Its physical security measures include guards, fences, sensors, gates, lighting and entry control points, alongside timely warning, reporting and alarm systems.
Each of those measures produces information or needs to be told what to do. Force protection works when they act together: the sensor that detects, the camera that confirms, the person who decides and the response that follows.
More sensors and effectors, but not one system
Bases and deployed units now hold a growing mix of perimeter sensors, cameras, radars, RF detectors and effectors, each with its own screen and data format. The MOD's own guidance on its open sensor standard notes that integration of sensors and effectors is time-consuming and costly (GOV.UK).
Without orchestration the guard force watches several screens, compares alerts by eye and passes decisions by radio. False alarms erode trust, a degraded sensor can go unnoticed, and the time from detection to response is lost in hand-offs.
How Espanaro orchestrates force protection
Consilium turns separate force protection measures into one repeatable chain, configured to your site, your kit and your rules.
- SenseBring perimeter sensors, cameras, radars, RF and Remote ID detectors and access control from different suppliers into one environment.
- Fuse and confirmCombine detections into one track or event, confirm it with AI or a camera, and check it against registers of friendly drones, vehicles and people.
- DecideA playbook applies your rules, like Actions On for the technology: who must be told, what evidence to show and which response options are allowed for this threat, here and now.
- RespondThe operator approves. Consilium tasks the right camera, patrol, barrier or effector through that system's own control interface.
- Record and shareEvery event, decision and action is logged, and protected feeds are shared with partners by attribute.
Threats and the solutions that address them
| Force protection need | Espanaro solutions |
|---|---|
| Drones over bases, airfields and deployed positions | Counter-drone orchestration with Consilium and Watchkeeper fusion |
| Perimeter intrusion and approaching vehicles or people | Consilium playbooks with Cognisight AI detection on camera and sensor feeds |
| Sensors that are degraded, spoofed or tampered with | Pulse Sentinel sensor health and trust scoring |
| Sharing feeds and tracks with partners and allies | ByteHarbour and HarbourGuard data-centric security |
| Secure alerting and coordination across the guard force | MastHead secure messaging, where policy decides who sees what |
| Sharing the force protection picture with other C2 systems | C2 integration: Consilium shares the relevant, releasable data with each C2 system that needs it |
The orchestration layer, not the effector
Espanaro does not make radars, jammers, barriers or other effectors, so it stays supplier-neutral. You keep the kit you have bought, add or swap components as threats change, and every response stays with an authorised person.
| Espanaro does | Espanaro does not |
|---|---|
| Connect sensors, cameras and effectors from different suppliers into one picture | Make radars, jammers, interceptors or other effectors |
| Fuse detections into one track per drone and flag friendly drones from a register | Claim detection ranges or defeat rates for third-party equipment |
| Run playbooks that put the right decision to the right operator, by policy | Remove the operator. Every effect is authorised by a person, as your rules require |
| Request effects through each effector's own control interface | Bypass an effector's own safety, safeguards or legal authorisations |
| Share protected feeds with partners by attribute, and record every decision | Lock you into a single supplier's kit |
Where it is used
Common questions
What is force protection software?
Force protection software connects the sensors, cameras, effectors and people that protect a base, site or deployed force, and coordinates them as one system. Espanaro's Consilium fuses detections, runs policy-driven playbooks, puts each response to an authorised operator and records every decision.
Is Espanaro force protection only for drones?
No. Counter-drone is one part. The same orchestration covers perimeter intrusion, vehicles and people of interest, sensor health and secure alerting, using the sensors and effectors already on site.
Do we have to replace the counter-drone equipment we already own?
No. Consilium is designed to orchestrate the sensors, cameras and effectors you already have, through open standards and vendor adapters, and to let you add or swap components later without starting again.
Does Espanaro make effectors or jammers?
No. Espanaro provides the orchestration and mission layer. We do not make effectors, so we stay supplier-neutral. Consilium requests effects through each effector's own control interface, with operator approval.
Who decides when to respond to a drone?
A person. Consilium playbooks put each response to an authorised operator, with the evidence needed to decide. Human in the loop or on the loop is configured to match your rules of engagement and authorisations.
Can Consilium run without a reliable network link?
Consilium can be deployed locally, close to the sensors, so a unit or site keeps its picture and playbooks when wider links are poor, and shares upward when the link allows.
Can we share drone tracks and video with partners or allies?
Yes. ByteHarbour and HarbourGuard protect feeds and tracks with data-centric security and release them by attribute, such as nation, unit, role or location, so each partner sees only what it is entitled to.
How do we get started with force protection orchestration?
Start with a short demonstration and a discovery conversation about your site or unit, the kit you already have and your rules. We then configure Consilium to your kit and run a pilot.