Thales awarded antenna contract for Canadian Navy
21 September 2010
Thales Canada has been awarded a contract to supply the Canadian Navy with dedicated UHF satellite communication (SATCOM) omni-directional antennas for four of the Halifax-class frigates that are being converted to command ships.
The QHASS (Quadrifilar Helix) antenna was developed by Thales UK’s underwater systems business in Templecombe, Somerset, specifically to provide enhanced low-angle performance in the UHF SATCOM frequency band.
"For more than 40 years Thales has been a major provider of sensors and systems to the Canadian Navy, and a variant of this antenna has been in operation with the Navy on its Iroquois-class destroyers for five years,” says Paul Kahn, Thales Canada President and CEO. “With the selection of the QHASS antenna for the Halifax-class command platforms, our company continues its strong relationship with the Navy.”
As a compact and relatively lightweight omni-directional antenna, the QHASS system can be easily installed onto any platform with no specific mounting or stabilization. The QHASS antenna pattern is matched to provide optimum link margin performance at all elevation angles and is considered to be the best omni-directional UHF SATCOM antenna currently available.
Thales UK’s Templecombe facility designs, develops and manufactures radio frequency-based antennas, designed for submarines, surface ships and land vehicle platforms, ranging from Very Low Frequency to Extremely High Frequency, and has expertise in SATCOM and multi-function antenna systems.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2009 the company generated revenues of £11.5 billion (€12.9 billion), with 68,000 employees in 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.
Thales Canada has 1500 employees in Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver working in Defence and security, Aerospace and Transportation. Sales across Thales operations in Canada exceeded $540 million (CAD) for 2009, to a range of customers including urban rail service providers, civil aviation companies, and military and security agencies.
Thales UK employs 8,500 staff based at 40 locations. In 2009 Thales UK's revenues were around £1.5 billion.
Press Contacts:
Conrad Bellehumeur
Thales Canada
Tel: + 613 723 7000
Email: conrad.bellehumeur@ca.thalesgroup.com
Kathryn Bell
Thales UK
Mob: +44 7813 903274
Email:kathryn.bell@thalesgroup.com
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