Platform capable of tracking multiple planes simultaneously when
searching for downed aircraft or responding to disaster and emergency
situations
MELVILLE, N.Y. –
September 11, 2017– Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (Nasdaq:CMTL)
announced today that the Company’s Enterprise Technologies group, which
is a part of Comtech’s Commercial Solutions segment, has developed a
real-time location, web-based portal for tracking multiple search and
rescue aircraft simultaneously for the Civil
Air Patrol (CAP), a volunteer organization of citizen airmen and an
Auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF).
Developed using Comtech’s Location
Studio™ platform, CAP’s search and rescue portal tracks the flight
patterns and GPS locations of all CAP search and rescue planes, as well
as their altitude and speed. This information is transmitted to the
portal using Garmin GPS tracking devices placed on all CAP planes. CAP
traffic control members can access this information using the portal’s
web-based user interface, selecting which plane(s) they want to track.
CAP pilots are also capable of communicating with other CAP pilots and
traffic control through a messaging system built into the portal,
allowing them to exchange vital information and better coordinate routes.
“In the past year, recent downed aircraft incidents have provided a
clear picture of the difficulty and complexity of search and rescue
operations,” said Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. “This tracking portal gives CAP
complete visibility of their search and rescue squadrons, allowing them
not only to track the real-time location of multiple aircraft
simultaneously, but historical data as well where they can view and
compare previous search routes. This helps them narrow down and adjust
the designated search area as needed, as well as provide them with
better tools for monitoring the condition of planes in flight and pilot
safety.”
During a recent evaluation conducted by the USAF, the CAP search and
rescue tracking portal passed several successful tests that assessed the
performance of the system during natural disaster scenarios. The portal
has also been successfully used during a real-world situation, searching
for a downed aircraft in Lake Tahoe, CA. Currently, 28 CAP search and
rescue planes are equipped with Garmin GPS devices capable of
transmitting data to the portal. These planes are primarily located in
the western U.S. with further rollout of the technology to be determined
at a later date.
CAP’s California Wing Commander, Col Alan Ferguson, said, “Using
Comtech’s Location Studio to track California Wing’s 28 aircraft has
huge safety and operational efficiency benefits. It will not only allow
CAP planes to be better tracked by CAP but this information can be
shared with local and state emergency services as well as USAF assets in
real time, keeping everyone safer.”
As a Total Force partner and Auxiliary of the USAF, CAP is a volunteer
organization providing search and rescue services for finding downed
planes, missing or lost civilians, and providing necessary assistance in
times of disaster and emergency. The organization has more than 56,000
volunteer members that devote their time, energy and expertise toward
the well-being of their communities, while also promoting aviation and
related fields through aerospace and Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math (STEM) education and CAP’s cadet program.
About Comtech Telecommunications Corp.
Comtech Telecommunications Corp. designs, develops, produces and markets
innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications
solutions. The Company sells products to a diverse customer base in the
global commercial and government communications markets.
Certain information in this press release contains statements that are
forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and
uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from such
forward-looking information. The Company’s Securities and Exchange
Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any
forward-looking information in this press release is qualified in its
entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and
Exchange Commission filings.
PCMTL
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Media Contact:
Michael D. Porcelain, Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
631-962-7000
[email protected]
