SRT Marine Systems plc, a provider of maritime tracking, management and surveillance technologies, products and integrated system solutions for ports, waterways, fisheries and coast guards, is going to build and launch their own maritime monitoring satellite constellation called OCEAN-SCAN — this constellation will provide enhanced global vessel detection and tracking and a new recurring revenue source from maritime domain awareness (MDA) system project customers.
The OCEAN-SCAN system will initially be comprised of six LEO satellites, operating in a combination of equatorial and polar orbits to provide global coverage, but with enhanced coverage of the equatorial and border regions due to the location of most current MDA system project opportunities. The expectation is that additional satellites will be added in the future. OCEAN-SCAN is expected to be fully operational by 2019. The satellites will enable SRT to sell long range vessel detection and tracking data to SRT MDA system customers and generate recurring revenue for SRT.
Innovations in the satellite industry over the last decade have resulted in the development of small, low cost single purpose satellite system solutions which provide a proven and low cost turn-key platform into which sensor systems can be integrated. One of the leaders in this field is Clyde Space in Glasgow, Scotland, and SRT has entered an initial agreement with the company, who have a proven smallsat platform solution that is ideal for this application and can be used to quickly, reliably and cost effectively deliver the OCEAN-SCAN system within the required timescale.
The OCEAN-SCAN system will host a combination of sensor technologies, including Automatic Identification System (AIS), to enable accurate and reliable tracking of all types and sizes of vessels, with or without an identification transceiver. This fusion of multiple sensor technologies on individual satellites is not found in the same combination on existing systems and will enable accurate real time detection of illegal maritime activity as well as long range reliable tracking of even the smallest fishing boat.
OCEAN-SCAN will benefit from new technologies with greater capabilities along with system architecture innovations that enable the delivery of higher quality data directly into the customer’s existing SRT MDA monitoring system solution in real time. This will enable the seamless monitoring of vessels operating in maritime regions not covered by their terrestrial sensor systems.
Simon Tucker, Chief Executive Officer of SRT Marine.
Simon Tucker, CEO of SRT Marine Systems, commented that this is a natural and major strategic initiative for SRT that will deliver significant benefits for authorities seeking to secure and manage their maritime domain, as well as a new and recurring revenue stream for SRT through the sale of data to our system project customers. OCEAN-SCAN is fully funded via forecasted trading cash flow and further supported by the company's new working capital facility. Subject to the usual risks associated with launching satellites, SRT expects OCEAN-SCAN to be fully operational before the end of 2019. The new technologies and innovative system architecture of the OCEAN-SCAN satellite system, combined with the firm's SAT-Trak vessel transceiver technology and GeoVS intelligent monitoring and analytics system will deliver an unmatched level of fully integrated vessel tracking, identification and management capability to customers.