MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
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.
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