Customer Success Stories
The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation - together with the Center for Technological Development and Innovation of Spain - has developed SOOMNET, a centralized video management and coordination platform designed to interconnect electro-optical systems across multiple aircraft via radio links, enabling unified control through a mission-centric system.
Published: 02/02/2026
Today, aerial surveillance operations rely on capturing signals from various sources: helicopters, drones, ground stations, etc. How can these resources be coordinated effectively while ensuring real-time processing of video streams? This is the challenge that the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation has taken on with the SOOMNET project.
This initiative aims to develop a network of electro-optical systems interconnected via radio links and orchestrated by a central mission system. The challenge: to enable unified control of all sensors. To achieve this, Spain's Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) has brought together a consortium comprising of Escribano, a specialist in electro-optical sensors, WaveNet, an expert in radio networks, and Inetum, which is leading the software development.
The teams faced several major challenges. First, they had to manage HD video streams coming simultaneously from multiple aerial platforms, while ensuring minimal latency and perfect synchronization. Second, they had to ensure interoperability between heterogeneous equipment (cameras, radio modems, servers) supplied by different partners, while allowing new nodes to be dynamically added to the network.
Security was also a critical issue. The system had to manage access for multiple operators, prevent unauthorized access, and maintain the necessary operational flexibility. Finally, the complexity of the projects themselves posed a challenge: it had to be possible to assign users and equipment to projects with time and location constraints, while supporting simultaneous work with shared resources.
The solution developed by Inetum is based on a modular architecture built around a geographic information system (GIS). This platform enables the management of the SOOMNET network's electro-optical nodes, ensures command and control across the network, and integrates new nodes by configuring the associated radio systems.
Video management is another key part of the solution. The system handles streaming, recording, and playback of video feeds from helicopters and drones in real time. The software architecture is designed to be modular, with separate parts for user management, project planning, equipment tracking, video processing, and maintenance.
Security was, of course, at the heart of the project: the system incorporates encrypted authentication, role-based access, and complete traceability of all actions performed. The GIS enables real-time geospatial tracking of assets and visualization of video streams in their geographical context.
One of the system's strengths lies in the integration of artificial intelligence on two levels. On the one hand, AI has been incorporated into the video processing pipeline to enable real-time object detection and anomaly alerts, providing live assistance to operators while reducing their workload. On the other hand, AI is used for predictive maintenance, although this was not part of the initial scope of the project.
The results live up to expectations: 100% of deadlines and objectives have been met. Operational efficiency has been improved thanks to centralized control and project data visualization.
The system now offers better situational awareness thanks to GIS integration, which enables real-time geospatial tracking of assets.
The modular architecture developed ensures the project's flexibility, facilitating the integration of new technologies and their reuse in other defense projects in the future. The SOOMNET project illustrates the digital transformation underway in defense operations, shifting traditional surveillance and coordination systems toward a modern, software-driven paradigm.
