09 Jan 07. ITT Corporation and Thales Corporation have signed an exclusive agreement for ITT to build and market the SMART-S Mk2 radar system in the United States. According to William Devlin, vice president of ITT Electronic Systems Radar Systems-Gilfillan, the operating business unit that will build the radar, “This agreement will enable ITT to immediately field another modern product and expand our services to the US Navy. This radar will provide the Navy with a much needed capability, particularly on emerging platforms including the Littoral Combat Ship.” The SMART-S Mk2 has full 3D coverage up to 70 degrees elevation and two operating modes (13.5 / 27 rpm) with 250/150 km range respectively. SMART-S Mk2 has a solid-state transmit/receive array antenna with a fully integrated Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system and is optimized for medium-to-long range surveillance and target designation in complex environments such as the littorals with its mix of sea, land, islands, coastal rain and thunderstorms and multiple radar targets, including small surface targets, helicopters and anti-ship missiles. The range performance is matched with the requirements for modern anti-air warfare (AAW) defense missile systems such as the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM).
12 Jan 07. In order to ensure activity at its Pessac factory in the Gironde region, French defence electronics group Thales has teamed up with local technology firms and research laboratories to work on improving the precision and clarity of data supplied by reconnaissance UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). The project will be part of the state-funded Aerospace Valley competitive cluster. Thales has already won a €1bn contract in the UK for the Watchkeeper tactical UAV system, and expects to be first in line for a similar French programme. The Pessac plant used to work exclusively on radars, but its activities now include designing surveillance aircraft and making on-board computers for fighter jets. Although Thales’ UAV business employs just a handful of staff at present, this number could eventually rise to 250-300. Original article by Bernard Broustet. (Source: Abstracted from Les Echos/Shephard)
11 Jan 07. Savi Technology, a provider of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based supply chain solutions, announced the first seven companies that have licensed its active RFID technology, signaling a maturing market for the RFID industry. As participants in Savi’s licensing program, the companies will gain access to Savi’s intellectual property for active RFID products, which are based on the ISO 18000-7 active RFID air protocol standard. The “Quick Start” program participants announced today will provide the market with best-of-breed, properly licensed equipment based on international standards. ISO 18000-7 addresses air protocol standards for RFID equipment operating at 433.92MHz, and has been supported in nearly every major trading country worldwide. Companies named today as authorized licensees of Savi’s RFID patents around ISO 18000-7 are: Apogee Total Solutions, www.active-rfid.com , formerly Active RFID Systems, Inc., is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based provider of active RFID tags, readers, specialty devices and mobility solutions with a comprehensive line of Real Time Locating software tools and applications; Convergence Systems Limited, www.convergence.com.hk , based in Hong Kong, is a leading engineering and manufacturing company of UHF passive and active RFID readers, antennas, RFID modules, and custom RFID tags; Evigia Systems, Inc, www.evigia.com , headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, is a provider of wireless sensor products including active RFID tags, readers, and multi-sensor tags with small form factors and extended battery life based on its ultra-low power integrated CMOS-MEMS technology; Graphic Industries, Inc., www.graphicindustryinc.com , headquartered in Pennsville, N.J., is a provider of membrane switches, RFID smart labels and nameplates