The Canadian Department of National Defence has awarded the Company a CDN $14.6 million contract to complete Phase 1 of its Search and Rescue Repeater (SARR) program. COM DEV’s role during Phase 1 will include the review and update of design documentation, testing and engineering services, and the development of a SARR simulator. Phase 1 is expected to last two years, with work to be carried out at the Company’s Cambridge facility.
Cospas-Sarsat was established by Canada, the United States, France, and Russia in the mid-1970s to provide a true global search and rescue system. Once in orbit, the SARR will be able to detect signals from emergency beacons and retransmit the signals to receiver stations on Earth. The emergency messages can then be sent to appropriate authorities so people in danger can be quickly located and rescued. Since becoming operational in 1982, the Cospas-Sarsat system has helped to save over 22,000 lives around the world. As a signatory to the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreement (ICSPA), Canada is committed to providing the satellite payload equipment that is at the heart of the search and rescue system.
Upon successful completion of Phase 1, COM DEV anticipates negotiating to begin work on Phase 2 of the program, which would see the Company build two repeaters for the satellite payload. The SARR equipment will be delivered to the United States for integration onto NPOESS weather satellites being jointly procured by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Air Force. The satellites will operate in a polar low earth orbit with the first launch planned for 2013.