Thales Canada announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) for a Flight Following System (FFS) to provide improved helicopter tracking. The project includes installing Flight Following Equipment in 22 helicopters, plus 17 helicopter-capable ships.

“This FFS project further reinforces our position as a premier electronic systems integrator for the Canadian Coast Guard,” said Paul Kahn, President and CEO Thales Canada. “This follows on from our recent win of another contract that has potential for technical synergies, to deliver the Interdepartmental Maritime Integrated Command, Control and Communications (IMIC3) project, a joint effort of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard. We look forward to further improving the overall Canadian Coast Guard maritime safety and situational awareness.”

Thales Canada will be working in partnership with SkyTrac, a Canadian company, globally respected as a specialized supplier of hardware and software for satellite based flight following systems. “SkyTrac Systems is thrilled to work with a first-rate organization like Thales,” commented SkyTrac President and CEO Steve Fuhr. “Together we will provide the CCG with unparalleled situational awareness on all their participating resources. This technology has the ability to take an organization’s operational safety and efficiency to the next level.”

The FFS project has four main components: Helicopter Tracking: Aviation tracking units installed in helicopters (i.e. helicopter-to-ship-to-helicopter bearing and distance information which replaces the existing NavLink capability); Vessel Tracking (VT): Units installed in helicopter-capable vessels; Satcom: A satellite communications service and Shore Component: Data centre services.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2011, the company generated revenues of €13 billion (equivalent of $18 billion CAD) with 68,000 employees in more than 50 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

Thales Canada has 1,300 employees in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver working in Defence & Security, Aerospace and Transportation. Revenue from Thales operations in Canada exceeds $500 million (CAD) for 2011 to domestic and foreign customers in the urban rail transit, civil aviation, military, and security sectors. www.thalesgroup.com/canada

About SkyTrac

SkyTrac is a trusted supplier of SatCom solutions for data, text and voice communications. With customers on every continent and from all areas of operation, from Oil & Gas to Air Medical to Law Enforcement to Search & Rescue, SkyTrac has acquired a long list of Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) and the company’s hardware has been installed on a large number of rotary and fixed wing aircraft types from AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, Cessna, Bell, Sikorsky, MBB, Beechcraft, de Havilland, LearJet and Raytheon.