Telecommunications Systems News

AAC Clyde Space started the INFLECION project, something the company touts as a transformative initiative made possible by a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). This marks the beginning of a project that will transform maritime domain awareness (MDA) through satellite technology.INFLECION is touted by its creator as a game changer for global maritime operations, addressing challenges and enhancing safety, efficiency, compliance, and environmental sustainability. The…

Retired Vice Adm. Richard Hunt will assume the position of president of the Surface Navy Association (SNA) at the association’s annual symposium in January. Hunt succeeds retired Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, who has been president since 2013.Hunt is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was commissioned in February 1976 through the Officer Candidate School program in Newport, R.I. He attended Naval Post Graduate School, receiving a Master of Science in Telecommunications Systems Management in March 1988.He has served in USS Sampson (DDG 10), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS Roark (FF 1053), and has commanded USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58).

The sole prime contractor for the entire mid-life refit of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, Naval Group, said it has returned the vessel to the French Navy. The vessel will now start ramping up its systems before returning to its operational cycle.Designed and built by Naval Group and entering service in 2001, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, further to its modernization, has now entered the technological era of the 21st century. This mid-life refit included unprecedented renovations and a density of work that gave the project a level of complexity unseen until now.

Power and automation technology group, ABB, informs it has won three orders worth $60 million for internal and external telecommunication systems for three Statoil projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The three contracts have been signed with leading shipyards in South Korea. ABB will be a system integrator of telecommunications on the offshore installations built for the Aasta Hansteen and Gina Krog fields in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea and for the Mariner field in the British sector.

SRA International, Inc. say they will continue to provide mission-critical support for the U.S. Department of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) Information Technology (IT) Afloat Operations. The three-year contract is valued at $56 million, if all options are exercised. MSC is responsible for a variety of missions, including the provision of strategic sealift for the Department of Defense, direct fleet support to the Navy combatant fleet, and conducting special missions involving the operation of ships for Department of Defense components. The MSC Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4S) Directorate (N6) is responsible for MSC C4 systems, encompassing worldwide IT networks and communications.

Inmarsat plc, provider of global mobile satellite communications services, & RigNet, Inc. global provider of managed remote communications solutions to the oil and gas industry, agree a wide-ranging strategic transaction involving the appointment of RigNet to distribute Inmarsat’s Global Xpress and L-band services to the energy sector & the sale of Inmarsat’s retail energy business to RigNet. Under the terms of the agreement, RigNet will become a key Global Xpress distribution partner for the global energy sector and will offer Global Xpress and L-band services to RigNet’s growing customer base. In connection with the appointment, RigNet has entered into to a significant 4-year Global Xpress capacity pre-purchase.

ABB wins contract worth $20 million for providing power & automation technologies to a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) built by the Chinese shipyard COSCO Nantong for Dana Petroleum. ABB's delivery will contribute to efficient and safe operations, and reliable power distribution on board. The FPSO will have Sevan Marine's characteristic cylindrical design and will be located on the Western Isles field on the UK Continental Shelf, 160 kilometres east of the Shetland Islands.

Matthew (Matt) Desch, Chief Executive Officer, Iridium Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), has been named Via Satellite’s Satellite Executive of the Year for 2011. Iridium boasted a strong performance in 2011 that exceeded estimates on nearly every metric. Financially speaking, the MSS operator grew in areas where it was not expected to grow, driven by its service, its technological innovation and its ability to be a catalyst to its ecosystem of development partners in an increasingly competitive sector and in new sectors, as well.

Imtech (technical services provider in Europe and on the global marine market) is observing a substantial increase in the number of marine service and maintenance contracts managed by Imtech. Recently Imtech signed a new global partnership agreement for 350 vessels operated by an international ship operator in Hong Kong, which granted Imtech a preferred service vendor status. As a result, Imtech passed the 5,000 mark for ships under various types of contract and partnership agreements. In addition, the company renewed its existing contract for the maintenance of technical infrastructure on all NAM drilling rigs in the North Sea. Imtech is also observing further growth in the number of technical conversions and renovations, for which the company gained several new orders.

Imtech (technical services provider in Europe and on the global marine market) is observing a substantial increase in the number of marine service and maintenance contracts managed by Imtech. Recently Imtech signed a new global partnership agreement for 350 vessels operated by an international ship operator in Hong Kong, which granted Imtech a preferred service vendor status. As a result, Imtech passed the 5,000 mark for ships under various types of contract and partnership agreements. In addition, the company renewed its existing contract for the maintenance of technical infrastructure on all NAM drilling rigs in the North Sea. Imtech is also observing further growth in the number of technical conversions and renovations, for which the company gained several new orders.

Invsat Ltd., the U.K.-based telecommunications systems integrator, has been awarded a prestigious contract to provide network communications for the British Antarctic Survey in one of the world’s most challenging environments. The VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) network is connected via the NSS-7 satellite to Invsat’s earth station based at its Aberdeenshire HQ. Stabilized C-Band VSAT systems are being deployed on the two ice-strengthened Royal Research Ships that support the British Antarctic Survey's operations in the region. The two vessels are the RRS James Clark Ross, which has some of Britain's most advanced facilities for oceanographic research, and the RRS Ernest Shackleton which is primarily a logistics ship, used for the re-supply of the Survey's stations.