Thales HF Radio Communications System Selected by U.S. Coast Guard

Thales HF Radio Communications System Selected by U.S. Coast Guard

20 November 2008
Now the "Gold Standard" for Coast Guard Cutters.
Thales Communications, Inc., announces the selection of its medium-powered, High-Frequency Automated Link Establishment (HF-ALE) radio communications system by the U.S. Coast Guard for incorporation into new cutter acquisition contracts for the next five to seven years.

The Coast Guard's standardization with Thales is a follow-on to Thales's participation in an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract competitively awarded in 2005 under which Thales HF radio systems are being used to upgrade the Coast Guard's In-Service cutters with advanced HF-ALE capabilities. Under that IDIQ contract, Thales's systems are being integrated on the Coast Guard's fleet of 75 cutters of varying classes, including High and Medium Endurance Cutters (378-foot, 282-foot, 270-foot, and 210-foot) and the Polar Icebreaker fleet.

In fulfillment of these new requirements, the Thales HF-ALE radio system will be integrated on the SENTINEL Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) and Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC), as well as other Cutter and shore communications acquisition programs with medium-powered (up to 1KW) HF and HF-ALE requirements. With the HF standardization of Thales's equipment throughout the fleet, the Coast Guard will realize immediate savings in procurement costs, life-cycle maintenance, HF-ALE network management, and training.

Designed to be used in multi-service tactics, this commercial off-the-shelf equipment is certified by the Joint Interoperability Test Command, which is the Defense Information Systems Agency's testing and evaluation organization, and is interoperable and fully compliant with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration standards on HF-ALE. Thales's medium-power HF solution provides the Coast Guard with maximum flexibility and the latest integrated and networked shipborne HF technology that supports the newest generation waveforms. Thales's modularly designed, dual-channel HF radios provide size and weight reductions over In-Service equipment and, with a variety of control applications, allow the Coast Guard the ability to remotely control the Thales HF system from multiple locations, maximizing operational flexibility and reducing workload.

"The Coast Guard has determined this effort to be in the best interests of the U.S. Government," said Aaron Brosnan, Director of Naval/Maritime Programs at Thales Communications. "They have deemed our HF system to be a proven, ‘extremely capable, highly reliable and easy to maintain radio that exceeds Coast Guard requirements'. We look forward to continuing our service to the Coast Guard in the years to come."

In further support of its Coast Guard and U.S. Navy customers, Thales Communications is shifting the production of core components of Thales's shipborne HF communications systems from Thales UK to Thales Communications' Maryland manufacturing facilities. This transfer of manufacturing means reduced manufacturing costs and significant savings to the U.S. Government.

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Thales (HO:PA), US Coast Guard (USCG)