Thales Systems Canada Inc. (Thales Systems), Ottawa, Ontario, in partnership with Mackay Radio Systems, Inc., Youngsville, North Carolina, today announced a major contract to deliver a maritime communications system to Egypt Telecom, Cairo, Egypt. The system will provide the shore-based communications infrastructure for Egypt’s national Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and its maritime public correspondence communications network. This project will establish digital communications along Egypt’s coastal waters, which includes the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Suez Canal. When completed there will be three control centres and 22 communications sites in the system that will provide coverage for Egypt’s 2450 kilometres of coastline.

"Thales Systems is a world leader in GMDSS and maritime communications systems. I am pleased our capability is recognised by many international customers including Egypt Telecom," noted Norman Smyth, President of Thales Systems. "We have supplied communications technology to the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian navy, and many overseas customers. This project in Egypt affirms our ability to be internationally competitive and undertake large prime contracts in the export market."

Through this project Egypt Telecom is demonstrating its continued commitment to providing state-of-the-art communications systems and services for the country. Thales Systems and Egypt Telecom will be providing national authorities with a significantly enhanced ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship emergency communications capability. This GMDSS communications system will rapidly alert rescue authorities to maritime distress situations and assist them in the co-ordination of a rescue response. As a result safety at sea will be improved and lives will be saved.

GMDSS is the new international standard for maritime communications; it provides "911 for ships". It relies on advanced digital communications technology and satellites to automatically warn of emergencies at sea. GMDSS was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency with responsibility for ship safety. Individual countries and ship owners are required to install GMDSS systems in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

The system being delivered to Egypt will consist of 3 communications control centres and 22 radio sites. These sites will be strategically located along the country’s coastline in such a way as to maximise the signal range and coverage of the system. The communications service will extend approximately 30 nautical miles from the coast and will operate at Very High Frequency (VHF). Digital Selective Calling (DSC) will be incorporated to provide automated radio watchkeeping on distress and calling channels. The system will also provide automatic direct dial public telephone connectivity between ships at sea and the public telecommunications system operated by Egypt Telecom. The revenue from the telephone service will support the cost of the GMDSS emergency communications system.

Thales Systems is an engineering and systems integration company that designs, develops, and delivers turnkey radio communications systems for the world market. The company is the prime contractor and integrator for a major project that that will provide DND and NORAD with a long-range radio communications in the Arctic. Mackay Radio Systems, Inc., a sales and product business offers a complete range of the most advanced HF radio products. Both companies are subsidiaries of Thales, Paris, France. Thales had revenues of EUR 6.9 billion in 1999 and employs 50,000 people. It is a global leader in advanced electronics technology for the government market. This contract in Egypt demonstrates the success of Thales multi-domestic development strategy that employs the twin pillars of a global network of companies that are close to their customers and geographic diversity in its centres of excellence.